Two Sides Of The Same Coin
by the gifted one
Summary: Rachel and Santana have more in common then what each girl wants to admit. Their past was filled with an abundance of pain and heartache, while Rachel's present was filled with uncertainty and harshness. Being raised by single fathers and past secrets will cause both girls to connect in ways that are unexpected for them and to their families and friends.
1. Prologue

Leroy turned his wedding ring on his left hand using his thumb as he waited for the red light to change. He'd just left practice for the day and was headed towards the upscale loft that he was fortunate enough to afford. On any other day the prospect of going home to his family was a great one and always seemed to bring a smile to his face, but for the last couple of days going home meant utter turmoil and it left his spirit a chaotic mess.

A horn beeping behind him aggressively jarred him out of his own mind and he slammed on the gas pedal, lurching his sports car forward and through the green light. Sighing heavily, Leroy rubbed his hand over his ever growing beard. It needed to be tamed but they were in the middle of a winning season and it looked as if the Yankees were going to make it all the way this year, so once again he found himself conforming for the benefit of others.

Finally arriving to his building, he drove into the underground parking garage and zoomed into his parking space. Taking a deep breath he got out of his car quickly and headed towards the elevators. _'I'm a man and I can do this'_ , he kept saying over and over to himself.

"Good evening Mr. Berry" said one of the security guards from their building. He was in his booth and tilting his hat towards Leroy.

"Evening Sanders" replied Leroy courteously.

"Y'all looking good this year, hoping a world series is in the future" said Sanders with a smile.

"You and me both" smiled Leroy tightly as he made his way into the elevator and nodded in appreciation as the doors closed behind him.

As the elevator moved up towards the upper level loft, he could feel the tightness and anticipation in his stomach. He hadn't heard a word from his wife all day and the argument they had the day before (the worse one of their entire marriage) was still playing on repeat in his mind. Harsh words were spoken, things were thrown in his direction, and she'd smacked and hit him a few good times; and it was all was because he spoke the truth. For the first time in his adult life he had the audacity to speak the truth and so far it wasn't going in a way he'd hoped. Her reaction was to be expected, in fact she had the right to be as angry as she was…he never thought he would see her so wounded though. And it was that look in her eyes that haunted Leroy the most. He knew without a shadow of doubt that he hurt her in such a way that it would have a lasting and almost lifelong effect.

The elevator dinged and he walked out and towards his loft. Unlocking the door and stepping in, he immediately knew that something was off and panic began to rise in him. The first thing he noticed was that it was entirely too quiet. Normally when he came home, he would hear the sound of his kids playing and then the both of them running to greet him at the door, while his wife would come from either the kitchen or living room to greet him with a smile. Even though Shelby hadn't greeted him in the last couple of days, his kids always did.

Silence is what greeted him today and it set him on edge. Walking through the kitchen and into the dining room he looked around and noticed that everything was perfect and its proper place. Again, not normal. He was used to seeing arts and crafts all on the table that the kids had worked on before he gotten home, but today, nothing.

Leroy walked into the living room and his stomach dropped as he saw a simple note and what looked to be his wife's engagement and wedding ring sitting on top of it. He felt his eyes watering as he slowly made his way over to the note that he knew would change everything.

 _I want a divorce. Contact me through my lawyer. Everything that belonged to me I took. Bobby Goldstein 212-555-0218_

It was simple and to the point. He'd just lost his wife.

Immediately he thought about his children and dropped the note to run to his kid's room. Checking both rooms, everything seemed to be normal in both rooms but his kids were missing.

Anger began to replace panic as he thought about the fact that she left and it was beginning to look like she'd taken his kids with her. Leroy quickly ran towards their room, to see if anything was different there. As soon as he flung the door open he saw his son and daughter in the middle of the king size bed fast asleep. A wave of relief washed over him as he scanned the room. He noticed a bottle of sleepy time cough syrup sitting on the night stand and he felt his nostrils flare.

Grant it the kids had been getting over a cold, but he knew the real reason she gave them the medicine.

It was so they could sleep so she could sneak out without them making a big fuss about it.

She'd left him. She'd left her son and daughter.

Angry tears fell off his face as he began pacing back and forth, watching his beautiful babies breathing slowly and sleeping contently. It was his fault, of that he was sure and this was the consequence. He expected for her to lash out at him but not the kids. They were innocent in all of this.

He went into their walk in closet and noticed every last piece of her clothing and belongings was gone. Suit cases, dresses, jewelry…all gone; the realization caused him to fall to his knees as the reality of his situation really started to process. Tears continued to fall as he looked around, shock apparent all over his face.

He sat down completely and covered his mouth with his hands as he began having the worse cry of his life, right in the middle of his closet. He choked back sobs, so as not to wake up his children. He face was completely soaked with tears as his heart filled with the pain and hurt of the entire situation.

When he told her the truth, he expected for her to leave…but not like this. He didn't think she would turn her back on their kids. She made it clear with her note that she didn't consider them hers and that from now on that he would be responsible for them, instantly making him a single parent.

Leroy grieved in that closet for a while. He grieved the loss of his wife and marriage due to his own dishonesty. But most of all he grieved for his children because they lost their mother. She'd walked out on them and he knew he would have to explain why, and more importantly deal with their feelings, which would undoubtedly include abandonment and insecurity. Leroy Alexander Berry was in for quite a ride and he knew that he needed help.

He let out the last of his tears for the moment before wiping his face and getting off of the closet floor. His children were still asleep in the middle of the bed so he walked over to the phone and dialed a familiar number. After a few rings his mother picked up; "Hello" she answered with a cheery voice.

"Hey mom" he said trying to sound as normal as possible.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately with concern laced in her voice.

"How'd you know something was wrong?" he asked brokenly.

"A mother knows her child" replied his mother softly, "now tell me what's wrong."

Leroy recounted the events of the last couple of days softly into the phone, so he didn't wake his children. He was rubbing their backs in a comforting manner as he explained, trying his best not to break down at the most sensitive parts.

"Where are Noah and Rachel now?" asked his mother once he finished.

"Lying right beside me" he responded "She put them to sleep early using over the counter cough medicine. "

He heard his mother sigh heavily into the phone and mumble something angrily, "Your father and I will be there tonight."

"Dad too?" said Leroy slightly alarmed, "I don't know how I feel about that" he replied.

"Your father loves you unconditionally. Always have since the time you were born. We know our children Leroy, and we've known about the real you for some time. We were just waiting for you to be honest with yourself. And now that you have, we can finally have this conversation that should've been had years ago. You being gay doesn't change our love for you, son" said his mother.

Leroy stayed quiet in response; he honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Are you hearing me?"

"Yes ma'am…I-I'm just trying to work through everything and process this" he replied.

"Well first thing you need to do is get those babies up and moving, cause if you don't they'll be up at two in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Tell them grandma and granddad is coming over with chicken nuggets and toys" she said, causing Leroy to smirk for what felt like the first time in days. "Play with them and when they ask where their mom is be honest and say you're not sure, but remind them you're right there. You have to be mama and daddy for them now."

"Yes ma'am" he answered tearfully.

"You aren't alone, we're right here with you and we will always have your back" she said, "now go on and we'll be there soon. I love you" said his mother.

"Love you too" he responded before they both hung up. Looking over to his right he examined the innocence of his baby girl and boy. Rachel was sucking on her binky and her eyes were closed displaying those beautiful long lashes of hers. Already two years old and full of her own personality, they'd been trying to get rid of her pacifier for a while now, but the small child was putting up a good fight. He brushed his hand through her dark tresses and began massaging her scalp lightly, "wakey, wakey princess" sung out Leroy softly. After a few seconds he saw her eyes flutter and then her entire face light up as she recognized that he was there.

"Daddy!" said Rachel happily as she looked up at him. Her pacifier fell out and she quickly picked it up and placed it back in her mouth before holding out her arms.

"Hey baby girl" whispered Leroy as he scooped her up quickly and pressed her tiny body against his chest. Rachel's head instantly fell where his heart was and he placed several kisses on top of her curly head as he fought away tears. How truly unfair all of this was to his seeds. They didn't deserve this but he knew they would be living with the consequences of all of this for the rest of their lives.

"Daddy, wake up No-a" said Rachel around her pacifier.

"Okay princess" replied Leroy. He leaned over and started rubbing Noah's hair gently, while still clutching Rachel. His baby boy began whimpering slightly as he buried his head into the pillow and started shaking his head back and forth. "Up No-a" said Rachel loudly. Noah's head rose slightly as the three year old began blinking his eyes, trying his best to wake up.

"Hey there son" said Leroy, "How's my prince doing today?" he asked once Noah was up and looking around.

"I'm doing good" responded Noah as he sat up and crossed his legs. It always took him awhile to fully wake, but once he was, watch out world. His son was all boy and everything that went with that.

Rachel began shaking back and forth letting Leroy know that she wanted to be placed down. As soon as he released her, Rachel crawled over to Noah and sat directly next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Noah just looked at his little sister for a bit, seeming to still be in a fog as Leroy watched both of his children.

"Daddy" said Noah as he begun looking around the room and analyzing his surroundings, "where's mommy?" At the mention of the woman, Rachel's head popped up and she began looking around as well.

"She went out for a while" Leroy replied softly as he tried keeping his emotions in check.

"She come back?" Rachel asked as both of his children looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Of course she is…a little later" said Leroy with a fake smile, "but guess what?" he asked excitedly.

"What?!" said both Rachel and Noah clearly intrigued.

"Guess who's coming over!" said Leroy with an abundance of fake energy.

"Who?!" the both of them seemed to yell in response as they sat up.

"Granny and Granddad!" shouted Leroy. It was necessary to put on this fake show because internally it felt like a hurricane was going off leaving a mess of his emotions and reasoning. He chuckled as both of his kids gasped and began smiling from ear to ear.

"Really!" exclaimed Noah as he stood up and began jumping up and down, with Rachel right behind him.

"Really!" responded Leroy as he laughed slightly at his children. Their innocence never ceased to amaze him and he made a vow right then to keep them as innocent as possible for as long as possible. They had the rest of their lives to be grownups.

"C'mon" said Leroy as he got off the bed, "let's go get ready for when they come" he said as he helped them both off of the bed and onto the floor. As soon as their small feet hit the ground they took off running.

Leroy's face immediately dropped as they ran out of the bedroom. He had to keep it together for their sake. Every decision from then on out would be for their benefit and theirs alone. Holding off the truth to prevent them pain was the best thing that could be done at the moment.


	2. Chapter 1

**Years later…**

Rachel was swiftly walking through the halls of McKinley with her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. It was easy to get lost amongst the crowded hallways because of her tiny stature. Moving quickly and surely was the easiest way to avoid conflicts and more importantly being a target.

She knew she wasn't well liked.

And she knew her personality was part of the reason for her not being a crowd favorite. She could be controlling, abrasive, a-know-it-all, conceited, bossy and unusually selfish when she wanted something really badly and she felt as if it was in her best interest. Even with her flaws, the vitriol she suffered on a daily basis was a little uncalled for in her opinion. Especially from certain people.

Making it to second period, way before the bell she released a sigh of relief at being the first one present.

"Good Morning Mr. Mosher" said Rachel quickly as she went to her seat.

"Morning Rachel" he responded quietly as he rose from behind his desk and walked over towards the classroom door to greet the other students in the class.

Rachel opened up her notebook and pulled out a pencil for class. In all honesty this class was her favorite because Mr. Mosher always had the entire class thinking out of the box on a variety of topics. On the schedule it simply said AP economics, but Mr. Mosher had a weird sort of way of using everyday life to teach them the basics in economics. It was an elective class but Rachel planned on being her own brand and making her name into a million dollar industry, she figured she should learn as much of the business side of things as possible. Economics wouldn't necessarily help her with her talent but it looked good on her transcript for college and it would be a GPA booster as well.

The class began to fill with students and Rachel was mentally preparing for it. This class was filled with freshman and sophomores alike. Although she enjoyed Mr. Mosher and his teaching methods very much, the students were a completely different story. It was a mix of jocks, cheerleaders, and the lowest students on the social ladder, including her.

" _It'll be okay Rachel, hold your head high and put on a smile…you'll make it through this"_ Rachel thought, as she kept saying this mantra internally over and over again.

The late bell rang out and a few stragglers hurried into class as Mr. Mosher was closing the door. She watched as her teacher walked over to his desk and crossed his legs, while he starred down at his shoes with a pensive look. She could tell whatever he was thinking about was causing him great internal turmoil.

"Mr. Mosher are you okay?" asked Quinn Fabray causing Rachel to roll her eyes.

In her opinion Quinn was the epitome of a two-faced, hypocritical person. She was super sweet and nice to practically all the adults in the building, tolerated her peers that were on the football team and cheerleading squad, and was a downright bitch to those who didn't meet her standards. She was a cruel bully to the bulk of the McKinley High population and she was allowed to get away with it. Quinn was possibly the prettiest girl Rachel had ever seen and she had a hunch that deep inside, Quinn wasn't as nasty as she presented but there were days when Rachel really hated Quinn and everything and anyone who was around her. That included today. Already Rachel had been verbally abused by Quinn, Brittany, and Santana and laughed at by anyone who was in the vicinity.

"I'm fine Ms. Fabray" replied Mr. Mosher and breaking Rachel out of her own mind, "I'm just thinking of doing things a little differently in here for a while" he said as he continued to study his shoes.

"Well we normally have a drill in front of us, so something must be up" said Jacob Ben Israel weirdly.

"Shut the hell up Jew fro" hissed Santana, Quinn's right hand. She was just as pretty and just as mean…maybe even meaner.

"Thank you for your observation Jacob" said Mr. Mosher kindly as he stood up from his leaning, "and Ms. Lopez we don't need to be rude" he admonished just as gently. "I want to think you guys for being patient with me as I pondered on whether or not to change my lesson…and I have to say I'm going to go for it and I'll save my reasons why for another time. Can we agree on that class?" he asked.

Everyone either nodded or spoke out their agreement, although a hint of confusion could be heard in their responses.

Mr. Mosher waited a second before continuing, "So since the start of the year we've been going through the basics of economics" he said as he began walking slowly up and down the middle aisle of the small class. "At times economics can be confusing and quite frankly rather boring" causing several of the students to laugh, "but who can tell me the exact definition of economics that we're using specifically for this class" asked Mr. Mosher as he paused. Rachel's hand shot straight in the air, "Ms. Berry" he said pointing to her.

"Economics is a social science that studies how individuals, governments, firms, and nations make choices on allocating resources, whether they are scarce or not, to satisfy the unlimited wants of said people" replied Rachel. She was proud of herself for memorizing the definition and she could see in Mr. Mosher's eyes that he also was proud. Her moment was very short and sweet because in her left ear she could hear Santana mocking her, while Quinn laughed.

"Ms. Lopez that's totally unnecessary" said Mr. Mosher in a warning tone, "very good Rachel" he replied as Santana issued a soft apology. Rachel glanced over at the two best friends and she could tell that they were both embarrassed. It was rare for the members of the elite squad to get reprimanded in front of everyone. Quinn caught her looking and sent a particular nasty glare and Rachel's direction forcing her to turn around abruptly.

"So based on the definition that Ms. Berry so eloquently stated, what are the key points in that definition? Mike" said Mr. Mosher as he pointed towards Mike Chang, making the majority of the class turn and look since he was in the back.

"Umm, social science?" replied Mike unsurely.

"Good guess Mike, social science is a key point but it's one word in there that makes me get chills" said Mr. Mosher as he faked shivered, causing the class to chuckle once again. "Someone else take a guess. How about…Tina?"

Rachel looked back and saw a panicked look appear on Tina's face as she looked around at the class. Tina visibly gulped before answering, "I-in-individuals" she stuttered out.

"Excellent Ms. Chang!" praised Mr. Mosher, causing the Goth girl to smile slightly. "At its basic core, that's what economics is all about, the consumer…which loosely can translate into the individual. So economists often ask themselves, what drives an individual to make certain decisions about what they purchase? I've always thought this was a great question but it was never looked at in an in-depth way past money and the purchased items" said Mr. Mosher. "All people make decisions based off of who they are, how they were raised, and the environment they grew up in" he continued, "and that even comes down to things we consider miscellaneous purchases such as one particular DVD movie over another. Is everyone following?"

The majority of the class nodded but confusion was still ever present to where Mr. Mosher was going after that little spiel he'd just given.

"What does that mean for us and this class?" asked Mr. Mosher aloud as he looked directly in the eye, every last one of his students. "It means that things are going to change in a significant way with how we learn about economics. It means young people that instead of me standing up here and lecturing, as if you guys were already in college, we're going to take a hands-on approach" said the young teacher as he stood in front and seemed to pull a clip board out of thin air. "When I call your name I want you to grab your belongings and sit next to the person I pair you up with."

Rachel heard a bunch of whispers of resentment and even a few groans at the announcement and for once she was in agreement with the majority of her classmates. Normally her hand would've shot straight up in the air, ready to give an eloquent yet lengthy speech on why it would be better for them all, but her specifically to work alone, but for some reason today, she was just off and she felt…stuck.

"Alright, remember when I call your name grab your things and quickly move next to the person I've assigned. First up Ms. Tina Cohen-Chang move next to Quinn Fabray please. Rachel's mouth literally dropped open as she turned to see Tina gather her stuff and move quickly over towards the table that Quinn was seated at. At the same time Rachel watched as Santana angrily got up from the chair and stormed off to the side of the room. Quinn looked unsettled as well as Tina sat down and moved her chair away from the Cheerio a little.

To his credit, Mr. Mosher looked completely un-phased by it all.

As Rachel surveyed the rest of the class, she was hit with the realization that Jacob was still without a partner. Internally she began praying to Yahweh and everything holy in his heavenly kingdom that she would not get stuck with the perverted boy. He was quite disgusting and the nasty things he would say to her on a daily basis was enough to make her dry heave at any moment. "Shane Tinsley please sit next to Matthew Rutherford" said Mr. Mosher, "Let's have Michael Chang sit with Suzy Pepper and David Karofsky, let's have you pair up with Jacob Ben Israel."

Rachel let out an audible sigh of relief. Too bad she didn't realize what was really happening until Mr. Mosher announced it, "and last but definitely not least let's have Santana Lopez come and sit next to Rachel Berry."

Her head shot around so quickly, it ended up hurting the muscles in her neck. She stared at her teacher as if he betrayed her in the worse way possible, which he did by pairing her up with one of her nemesis. Santana slammed her body into the seat next to Rachel and crossed her arms over her chest. Rachel glanced quickly at the Cheerio and she could literally see the angry steam coming off her in waves, her downcast lips, flared nostrils, and tight jaw was an indication that this wasn't good. It was no way this could happen. Rachel valued her life and being partnered up with a human bull dog was not what she considered safe, reasonable, or in her best interest. She was just about to voice this very thing when Mr. Mosher cleared his throat and addressed the class once again.

"Now I can see on all of your faces that you aren't too happy about this arrangement."

"Not at all!" yelled out David Karofsky, with a few of their peers agreeing with him.

"Well that's too bad" shrugged Mr. Mosher, "because this is how its gonna be. The person you're partnered with will be your partner for the rest of the year."

Rachel sighed heavily and hung her head as she heard the frustrated groans around her, "with your partner, you guys will be assigned a series of projects; all that has to do with economics as a large entity, and more importantly how economics relates to us as individuals. That's the main goal here, to learn economics and to work together. The projects will be worth seventy-five percent of your grade and all subsequent classwork, homework, participation and the like will be worth the rest of the twenty-five percent. Any questions?"

Rachel's hand shot up and apparently so did everyone else's.

"Ms. Fabray" he said pointing to the blonde.

"I see what you're trying to do Mr. Mosher, but having us partnered up like this isn't really beneficial" said Quinn.

"And why is that?" countered Mr. Mosher seriously.

"W-well sir, we don't really know the people we've been paired with. None of us. How do you expect us to give good work and get good grades when we've been forced to work under such conditions" said Quinn as she gave a disgusted look towards Tina.

Mr. Mosher nodded his head and clenched his jaw. Rachel saw this as a sign he was really bothered by what Quinn said but he was still trying to maintain his professionalism, it was a clear sign his patience was waning as well. She'd seen it from her father enough over the years and it propelled her to lower her hand, which she just realized was still high in the air, waiting to be called on.

"Your concerns have been noted Ms. Fabray, but I'm afraid that this is the way it will be until the end of the school year…you don't like it, switch classes" he said looking directly at Quinn with seriousness. The bell sounded out indicating that class was over, "have a nice day" said Mr. Mosher as he kept his eyes upon Quinn.

Santana quickly gathered her stuff and stormed out of the classroom with several of the students following behind her. Rachel felt her shoulders droop as she got herself ready to leave. This was bad…the entire situation was bad.

"Rachel, have a good day" said Mr. Mosher as she was leaving out.

"I'll try" whispered Rachel.

As she walked along the hallway corridor, she was trying her hardest to get to the music wing and to her sanctuary of the auditorium. It was the only place in the entire school building where she found any type of tranquility. After the shakeup in her last period class, instinctively Rachel knew that she would be feeling the brunt of it, as if somehow she caused this…this spectacle to occur. Mr. Mosher had thrown a pebble into the proverbial social hierarchy of McKinley, which in part would cause these ripple effects to occur and Rachel would be on the receiving end of a tidal wave that she could just feel would materialize. And why? Because Mr. Mosher wanted them to get to know economics better. Rachel rolled her eyes, scoffed, and then stood frozen in shock. She blinked quickly to try and get the liquid out of her eyes as she heard several people around her laughing. She could feel the ice coldness stinging her face as she looked down at her now ruined white shirt. Red slushy dripped off the ends of her hair and began a trail of falling down her back, and the back of her legs, that reached her knee socks and she could feel it dripping slightly into her flats. Finally looking up she was met with a familiar set of eyes.

Noah was laughing wildly while holding the extra large cup by his side. Quinn and Santana were behind him smirking as they held menacing looks on their faces.

Betrayal was etched all over her face as she looked at her brother. For the briefest of seconds she could see guilt in his eyes, but just as quickly it was wiped away. She didn't know if her eyes stung from the emotions she was feeling or the red slushy itself. In spite of what was swirling around inside of her, and biting her lip to keep from sobbing, Rachel held her head up and walked away swiftly towards her original destination. As she maneuvered her way through the corridor, she heard harsh words being said such as; _loser, butch, ugly, dwarf_ , and _fags daughter_.

Biting her lip harder she picked up her brisk walking and almost went into a full run as she rounded the hallway towards the auditorium. To add insult to injury, as she reached the side door to the auditorium, she slipped on a small drop of slushy that had fallen off of her and fell to her knees. Scrambling up quickly, she used the door as leverage to get off the ground. Relying on her immense memory skills she made her way through the darkness of the auditorium and to the dressing rooms. Going through the males' dressing room, that was rarely used; she stopped in front of the mirror and finally let the dam break.

Trying to make sense on why she was so hated, was like trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. What exactly had she'd done to end up with this lot in life? To be hated by everyone…even her own mother and brother. Rachel just let it all out, no need to hold it all inside, knowing that even in the safety of her home she still had to measure out her thoughts and movements.

While calming down, she experienced a major shiver and knew it was time to get out of her soiled clothing. Before undressing, she locked the door and commenced to cleaning herself off. Completely naked she walked over towards the shower located in the back of the room and used her beauty products that she'd been stashing since the beginning of the school year. It was only October and it didn't make any sense that her towels and products had been well used already. After showering, she wrapped her body tightly in a towel and was thankful that it was now water dripping of the ends of her hair instead of slushy. Getting out of the shower, she made a sharp right into what looked to be a smaller room inside of the boy's dressing room. Rachel had set up shop. She had several changes of clothing hung up and lined together according to date. An iron and small ironing board was in the corner. Brushes, combs, and a small amount of make-up were in front of the single vanity that was in the room. Little odds and ends were located in the room to make it feel like a home away from home and Rachel quickly went about the business of getting ready as the bell rang out for the fourth period after lunch.

Rachel was glad that someone messed up her schedule and had given her a free period directly after lunch. That normally wasn't heard of as a sophmore.

By the time the bell rang out for fifth period, Rachel was in fresh clothing, her hair was dried and done again and she had calmed down enough to continue her internal mantra; _"It'll be okay Rachel, hold your head high and put on a smile…you'll make it through this"._

* * *

Leroy Berry was ecstatic.

He was cooking pasta alfredo, knowing that Noah needed to carbo load because he was in the middle of the football season. A vegetable salad with vinaigrette on the side was made with Rachel in mind and garlic bread was for him and Hiram, his new boyfriend.

He and Hiram made it official about a month ago and this was the first time Hiram actually stayed with them for dinner.

The front door opened and he knew it was Rachel shuffling through.

"Hey princess! C'mere and taste this good food your daddy is making!" yelled out Leroy in excitement.

He heard Rachel's bag drop in the foyer and her tiny feet carry her small frame into the kitchen. When he was greeted with her presence, Leroy's face grew into a huge smile and he motioned his head for her to come to him in front of the stove where he was.

"Try this" he said scooping some of the sauce out of the pan and blowing it so she could try. He held the spoon up to her mouth and smiled when Rachel blew some more air on it to make sure it had cooled. As he helped feed her, it brought back to memory of when he used to feed her as a baby. Looking down at her he smiled when she closed her eyes and moaned in satisfaction, "daddy that's really good" she said smacking her lips.

"I'm glad you like it" he said as he leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Hiram's staying for dinner and I want you to go and get cleaned up" he said as he stood back and gave her a once over, "that's not what you had on this morning" he assessed as he looked at his youngest child.

Rachel looked panic stricken for a second but then schooled her face, "you know I workout after school dad. I just changed after I showered."

Leroy studied his daughters face for awhile and wasn't shocked in the least that Rachel kept eye contact with him without her breaking. "Go on and get ready princess" he said nodding his head in the direction of the stairs. Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug before walking upstairs to freshen up.

"Why were you grilling her?" smirked Hiram from the kitchen doorway that led to the dining room.

Leroy turned back to the stove with a serious expression, "she has a habit of keeping things buried deep inside and not expressing the important stuff. She will talk your ear off about musicals, Broadway, Barbara Streisand, ballet, and other non important stuff. But ask her how she's feeling…like really feeling and she suddenly becomes Helen Keller" said Leroy shaking his head as he turned off the burners before putting the food in serving dishes. "And ever since she's been to that high school and I ask about her day, she shuts down and gives me the big baby browns…and she knows what that does to me."

"Hmm, so a daughter taking advantage of her father…she must be the first in history" laughed Hiram as he took a sip of his wine.

"Ha ha" scoffed Leroy, "help me take these to the table would ya?"

The newly affirmed couple carried the food into the dining room to set up.

"I'm actually excited about this dinner" said Hiram as Leroy helped him to his seat.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…I mean we've dated for awhile and you didn't confirm things until recently. Having me here at dinner with your kids is a big deal" said Hiram softly.

"Don't go getting soft on me" whispered Leroy with a smile causing Hiram to laugh.

"Everything looks delicious daddy" said Rachel as she walked into the room looking refreshed.

"Glad you find the meal appealing to your eyes princess" said Leroy as he pulled Rachel's chair out and motioned for her to have a seat. Rachel smiled brightly before sitting down graciously and waiting to be served.

Hiram looked on with amusement. He knew that Leroy used to be married and the dark man was very mum about what actually went down. Somehow he ended up with custody of Noah and Rachel and from what Hiram could see he was an excellent father.

"So, how was school today?" asked Leroy as he finally settled down in his seat and began to serve everyone.

"We're not gonna wait for Noah" inquired Hiram.

"Naw" he said shaking his head, "the boy is always late because of football and I don't want the food to get cold" replied Leroy, "so, school, how'd it go?"

"It's school daddy, nothing major" replied Rachel softly as she began eating.

"Nothing unusual, nothing at all" asked Leroy as he poured himself some wine after pouring Leroy some.

Rachel was quiet for a while as she chewed, before shrugging her shoulders, "nope."

Hiram chuckled as he indulged in the delicious dinner, "Well, how are your ballet classes going then?" he asked and wasn't surprised in the least when Rachel's spirit noticeably picked up and she began talking a mile a minute about the beloved class. Leroy remained quiet as he listened to his daughter go on about dancing, which led to her infatuation with Broadway. He looked on in sheer awe as Hiram and his youngest held a lively discussion about musicals past and present. Leroy was never much a fan being as though his passion had always been with sports but he would always support his baby girl's interests, even if it still made him uncomfortable to think about it.

Leroy heard the front door swing open and he popped up with excitement.

He rounded the corner just as Noah dropped his duffle bag in the large foyer.

"Hey son!" greeted Leroy happily.

"Sup' dad" replied Noah tiredly, "something smells good, what is it?"

"Alfredo, one of your favorites" replied Leroy as he motioned Noah towards the kitchen. "Also Hiram is here for dinner so I want you to wash your hands and get ready to eat" he said as he began fixing Noah a plate. When he turned around he could see that his son's entire body had deflated and he had a slight grimace on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Noah began shaking his head, "I'm just tired dad, do you mind if I take my food upstairs and go to sleep afterwards. It's been a long day" said Noah softly.

"Sure" Leroy nodded as he tried to fight of the sting of pain he felt. He handed over the plate and walked swiftly back into the dining room where Rachel and Hiram were still talking. Sitting down, he swallowed a huge gulp of wine to settle his emotions.

"Is Noah joining us?" asked Hiram.

"No he isn't" replied Leroy in a clipped tone, "he had a long day at school and practice."

Rachel rolled her eyes rather dramatically, which didn't go unnoticed by him. Leroy could feel his spirits drifting downwards and that left him a little quieter than normal. He was never happier when Rachel finally excused herself in need of doing her homework and the meal could finally be over. What he thought would be an amazing time turned out to be quite the disappointment in his opinion. He expressed that very thought as Hiram helped him clear the table and start the dishes.

"I thought it went well" replied Hiram as he pushed his glasses up on his nose and rolled up his sleeves. It was something Leroy secretly loved but he decided to keep that tidbit to himself.

"It did with Rachel but once Noah came home, it was a different story" he replied.

"Well how come? I thought he was just tired from the school day."

"There may have been some truth to that but he seemed excited about the meal until I mentioned you were joining us and his whole demeanor changed. My son has never been a fan of the fact that I'm gay" said Leroy, "he just hasn't. He ignores it and he refuses to discuss how he feels about the subject except for when he can show contempt or uneasiness."

"He's a teenage boy Hiram and you remember what that's like. It can't be easy on him trying to deal with this, especially in this awful town" said Hiram. "It took years for me to come out and I waited until I was well into adulthood and even now the treatment I get at certain places and, my gosh the looks" said Hiram.

Leroy understood exactly what he was saying. He didn't go around broadcasting his sexuality but whenever someone point blank asked him, he was truthful. Being dishonest cost him his marriage, has caused undeniable and still lasting pain, and his best friend…Shelby. Even when he was still playing baseball professionally, he never once denied it. There were rumblings around the league but his teammates kept a tight lid on everything, even after he retired.

"Just don't be so hard on him Roy" said Hiram breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I'm trying not to be. I give them independence on a lot of things but something isn't settling right with me about any of this" replied Leroy. "I mean the way him in Rachel have treated one another for the past few years has been disconcerting to me but these last couple of months have been downright ridiculous since she's started high school. They barely acknowledge the other exists and like I said anytime Noah's confronted with the fact I'm gay he shuts down. I just…I just want things to be like they used to before we moved here from New York" said Leroy as he shook his head.

"You think moving here was a mistake?" asked Hiram as he kept his face down as if he were concentrating solely on the task of cleaning dishes. Leroy wasn't fooled; he could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"It definitely wasn't a mistake" said Leroy quietly, "it couldn't have been because I met you" he said as he moved his arms around Hiram's waist and gave his earlobe a small nip.

Leroy could see the blush that crept up Hiram's neck and towards his face and he gave a small kiss on the base of his neck.

"I guess it wasn't" responded Hiram bashfully.

* * *

Later that evening, Leroy was making his usual rounds of making sure their house was secure. Hiram had left a while ago and texted that he'd made it back home safely. Robe hanging loosely from his still in shape frame, Leroy scooted around making sure windows were shut, doors were locked and the security system was set. As he punched in the code, his eyes glanced upon the two duffle bags left by his children. Knowing there was dirty clothing in there; he scooped both of them off the floor and headed towards the large laundry room on the first floor. Normally he only did his and Noah's laundry because Rachel insisted on doing her own once she became a young lady, but doing this task brought back a sense of nostalgia and he found himself smiling as he got the washing machines ready for the soiled clothing.

Deciding to start with Noah's bag first he almost gagged at the smell that hit him. He loved watching his son play football, but washing his uniform and underwear after Noah sweated through it took an abnormal amount of strength on his part. Suds began to form as he put in the detergent and fabric softener and he quickly deposited the funky clothes into the hot waters. Thankfully he only was washing the practice uniforms and not the game day stuff.

Next he went over to Rachel's bag and was surprised at how heavy it was. He assumed that all of the weight had come from Noah's bag as he carried it earlier. Leroy opened her bag and was hit with almost a week's worth of clothing. As he pulled each article out he felt his jaw clenching tightly. It seemed that most of her clothing was stained with red, purple, green, and light blue dye and some of the stains seemed to have been on her belongings for a few days. That paternal instinct was starting to kick in again and he knew something was drastically wrong there and if he were honest, that feeling had been there for a while.

Leroy knew Rachel was lying through her teeth most days when he asked her how it was going in school. He thought things would be different for his baby girl once she'd gone to high school and had switched districts, but he suspected things were off since that second week of school and now it was confirmed for him with the evidence he was dumping angrily into the machine. His child was being mistreated, maybe even bullied and it seems to have been going on for a while.

He closed both machines and watched for a minute as it tossed the clothing to and fro like a whirlwind or dramatic storm. He walked up the stairs as a multitude of questions began to assault his conscious. How long had it been going on? Why hadn't he done something about it sooner, when things felt off to him? Why hadn't Rachel come to him, knowing she was in need of help? Where the hell was Noah, her brother, when all of this was going on? What would his next moves be?

He stopped in front of Rachel's room in pushed her slightly ajar door open so he could get a better look at her. He touched the gold star that was on the door lightly as he watched her in the middle of that large bed, tiny as ever with her arm wrapped around her stuffed animal that he'd given her in replace of that blasted binky. It was a Paddington bear but toddler Rachel insisted on naming him Howard.

Howard's raincoat, boots, and hat had long been discarded but he was still hanging around, bringing his daughter a sense of comfort at night. Leroy shuffled over to the bed, tucking Rachel in a little more as he placed a tender kiss to the top of her head. She moved around slightly, never waking up, but then settling in. He whispered his love as he walked out and went towards Noah's room that held a skull and bones emblem on his door. Leroy wasn't a fan but let it be in favor of his son expressing himself, that's why he let the boy get away with that idiotic Mohawk. Leroy was tentative as he looked in on Noah but chuckled as his son was sprayed out over the bed, limbs stretched out, his mouth open, bedding strewn halfway on the floor, and the boy was lightly snoring. Leroy was reminded of himself in that moment and his irritation with his son waned slightly.

He tucked his son in and the boy moved much in the way Rachel had before settling.

Leroy closed his door and headed back downstairs. His heart was troubled for a number of reasons but the most pressing was his children. They were always on his mind and every decision he's made thus far has been for them; but for whatever reason a divide had happened in the Berry household and it was something he would have to fix before the divide became bigger and destroyed what he held dear.

Leroy transferred the clothing from washer to dryer. Doing laundry relaxed him, even though it was weird to some. It was domestic but that's what he loved about it. It meant he cared enough about his family and home in order to do a mundane task such as that.

As he waited for his clothing to dry he turned on the television in the den to catch up on the sports news of the day. Baseball playoffs were on and that was his favorite time of the year. Nostalgia always filled his spirit and he often would think of the great moments he had playing professionally and the championships he'd help bring to New York. Just as he was getting settled into his chair his phone rang out loudly throughout the house. Quickly getting up to get the call, he hoped the noise wouldn't disturb the kids and he wandered who would be phoning at such a late hour.

"Hello."

"Lee, it's your mother" said the older woman in a rush.

"Is everything alright?" he questioned, knowing something was off immediately.

"No it's not."

* * *

 ** _Thank you to everyone who has followed, faved, and reviewed my story. It means the world to me and I hope you guys stay around to the end. I love to write and I love using these characters to tell stories. Most of the ideas for these stories have been done but I like to think that I do them in a different sort of way. Critiques are welcomed as always but I would hope that people wouldn't leave these critiques as just guest reviews. That doesn't help anyone become better at writing, which I think the majority of people here are trying to do. People that have read my stories before, know I have a flare for the dramatic and unrealistic things so like I said before I hope you guys stick around._**

 ** _So I've written a good portion of this story out. I am quite flabbergasted and frankly disgusted by the news of Mark Salling. I have to say that the actors of the show have no influence on how I write the characters and that's all I'm going to say about that._**


	3. Chapter 2

The alarm went off and music came blaring through her clock radio causing Rachel to stretch a little before sitting up. Today was a new day and she was excited simply because it was ballet practice after school and she had something to look forward to. Climbing out of the bed, she stretched a little more before going over towards her elliptical for her morning workout.

She preferred running but her daddy didn't like the idea of her running around the neighborhood by herself so early in the am. An elliptical was purchased and Rachel yielded the argument.

Even though she knew her father could be overbearing sometimes, which he was, it came from a place of love and a need to protect her. It was more than she could say for her birth giver that's for sure. Rachel felt her mind drifting to uncomfortable thoughts and she decided to focus on her exercise routine as well as her future out of Lima.

Elliptical…check.

Hot shower…check.

Hair done…check.

Light make-up…check.

Clothes pressed and on…check.

Extra changes of clothing in duffle bag…uh…not check.

Rachel swiftly walked around her room and into her walk in closet looking for her bag. She was supposed to do laundry while doing her homework the evening before but completely forgot about it and just went to sleep. As events came back to the forefront, Rachel's mouth dropped open dramatically once she realized she'd left the bag in the foyer. Scurrying out of her room she quickly bounded down the stairs and straight to the foyer as her loafers comically skidded to a stop.

Her heart sank as she realized her bag was no longer by the door, but instead her father's briefcase stood in its place.

"Rachel, is that you?" called Leroy from the kitchen.

"Yes" she responded nervously.

"C'mon in here for breakfast please" said her father. She could hear in his tone that something was off kilter. Sighing heavily, she walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table were they normally ate. Her eyes bugged out slightly because right next to her seat was her duffle bag, sitting wide open with freshly laundered and pressed clothing. Rachel quickly sat down as her father placed a bowl of brown sugar oatmeal and a smaller bowl of fresh fruit in front of her.

"Dad, I-"

"We'll discuss it later" said her father with finality, "you want tea or orange juice?"

"Tea please" Rachel responded softly.

She watched as her father set the tea kettle up before going over towards the intercom in the kitchen to yell at Noah, "you have two minutes son to get down to this kitchen!"

Rachel could see something was bothering her father and her nerves were on edge because of it. She really didn't want to have this conversation with him about what really happens at McKinley on an everyday basis, or since she's been in Lima for that matter.

"Noah you have one minute" said her father seriously into the intercom before sitting down in his usual seat next to Rachel. The noises of scurrying could be heard from upstairs; a loud bang of something hitting the floor, an expletive or two, and then the pounding of feet literally running from Noah's room, into the hallway and down the steps.

"Glad you could make it" said her father sarcastically.

"Sorry dad, overslept" was Noah's excuse.

"You wouldn't have that problem if you'd just set your alarm" Rachel replied smartly.

Noah looked up and shot her an intense glare of disgust.

"Stop that!" yelled her father as he slammed his hand on the table causing everything on it and them to jump. "I'm sick of it, you hear me. You're family and you don't treat family the way you two have been treating one another."

"But she said something to me first!" Noah said incredulously. He clearly didn't know that he was treading on thin ice and the look Leroy gave him was deadly. Noah's shoulders slumped and Rachel could see him clenching his jaw angrily.

"Apologize to your brother Rachel" said her father in a no nonsense way.

"I'm sorry" was Rachel's response, "I'm sorry that Noah isn't responsible enough to set his alarm, forcing us to go through this song and dance every morning. If he'd go to bed at a reasonable hour, he wouldn't have to get up so late, forcing us to rush through breakfast and also to school and you wouldn't always get so frustrated in the morning daddy" said Rachel looking over at the man.

She watched as he bit down on his lips and closed his eyes. A tell-tale sign that his patience was almost at zero, "apologize again Rachel" he said through clenched teeth.

Rachel rolled her eyes but knew not to play with fire, "I'm sorry Noah" she spat out.

"Apologize to your sister" said her father.

"I'm sorry Rachel" Noah said crossly before stuffing oatmeal in his mouth to keep from saying what he truly wanted to.

Her dad sighed heavily before starting to eat his own meal, "when I get back, the three of us are going to have a very long conversation about what's going on here."

"Where are you going?" asked Rachel with concern. She saw her father's eyes soften a little before responding, "I'm going back to New York for a couple of days" he said.

"Why?" asked Noah tightly.

"Grandma called last night and they had to admit your grandfather into the hospital…he had what they thought was a mini stroke but it turned out to be a false alarm" said her father.

Rachel gasped immediately as she felt tears form in her eyes, "he's gonna be okay, right?" asked Noah with a perked brow.

"Yeah, he's gonna be fine, he's a Berry" said Leroy softly with a worried expression. Shaking his head he took a bite out of his own oatmeal, "besides after I check on him I have a few meetings to attend, then I'm coming back home to fix this bullshit goins on here" he said pointing his finger in between Rachel and Noah.

Neither child smartly said anything although Rachel felt herself biting back a reminder for her father's horrid language. Breakfast went on quietly, with each member of the Berry clan lost in their own thoughts. Before long they all were headed out the door and towards the car. Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes as she heard her brother come up with a lame excuse on why he didn't want their dad to drop them off at school together. Pathetic. She knew it was because he didn't want to be seen with her.

Once Leroy was in and started the vehicle, Rachel quickly reached over to turn on the station she wanted to hear before her father could switch it, but she felt the dark man brush her hand away lightly and cut off the system before the radio made a minute of sound.

"We're talking on the way to school" said Leroy.

Rachel sighed dramatically as her father began moving out of their driveway and onto the neighborhood street, "I thought you said we would do that when you got back" responded Rachel softly as she watched Santana Lopez walk out of her home and over to what looked to be towards the Fabray's house.

"I said we would discuss what's going on between you and your brother when I got back home. What I want to know is why there was a bag full of soiled clothing sitting in my foyer yesterday? I feel like you're hiding something" said her father as they turned right onto Wicker Avenue that would lead them out of their large and private community.

It was quiet for sometime as Rachel thought about telling him the truth about what her life had been since she'd gone to McKinley but internally shook it off, "you're making a big deal out of nothing" was her response.

"Oh really? So why'd it take you forever to respond just now" he said.

"Because dad I'm getting annoyed with the fact that you're blowing this whole thing out of proportion. I wasn't hiding anything from you, if that was true I would've taken my bag upstairs and done the laundry up there but I didn't because none of this is big deal" replied Rachel with much attitude as she crossed her arms over her chest tightly and slung her hair.

She glanced out the side of her eyes and watched her dad nod his head and for a brief second she thought he'd bought her spiel, "what about all the stains Rachel? I almost couldn't remove some of it. What the hell is that all about?"

"I was clumsy dad is all. I stayed after school one day to practice ballet, when I realized I was parched. For whatever reason I wanted something really cold, so I went to the slushy machine that we have at school. I placed the beverage in my bag so I could get something out of my locker and it spilled everywhere, in effect ruining all of my clothes" said Rachel swiftly. She didn't know where that excuse came from but she was glad she was able to deliver it with believability. Hopefully her dad bought it.

She heard her father hum silently as they turned another corner and joined the procession of other cars that were dropping students off for the school day.

"You know I thought we had a better relationship then this. I don't remember a time where you willingly lied to me about something important" said her father as the inched closer towards the drop off zone, "you have three days to come back to me with nothing but the truth before I handle things in a not so polite way" he said sternly, "am I clear?"

"Yes sir" replied Rachel meekly as she blushed and they pulled to a stop in front of the school building. Rachel opened the door to get out but felt a small tug on her left arm, "I love you princess and I'll be back home before you know. Promise" said Leroy. He always made this promise to her when he went out of town. She was sure it had something to do with the abandonment issues that she'd try to keep at bay most of the time.

"Give me love" he said, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. Rachel leaned up and placed a small peck on her dad's check before scurrying out of the car. She quickly made her way inside and towards her locker. Switching out her books, she pressed her textbook and three subject notebook against her chest as she made her way to first period.

Grateful that math was her first class of the day because she needed to focus a little more. Her mind tended to wonder in the afternoons and she needed to concentrate fully on her worst subject. The bell rang out signaling second period as she handed in her classwork assignment. Taking a deep breath and holding her head high she made her way towards Mr. Mosher's class. Instead of the excitement of being in her favorite class, a sense of dread filled her that seemed to settle in the pit of her stomach.

"Good morning" Rachel said softly as she made her way to her seat.

"Good morning Rachel" replied Mr. Mosher, seemingly distracted.

Sitting down Rachel began settling and repeating her daily mantra in preparation for what was now her worse class. The class began to fill and her heart leaped in joy when she saw Quinn enter the class without her trusty side kick. She thought she would be spared but just as Mr. Mosher began closing the door; Santana slinked through just as the late bell sound out.

Rachel shoulders slumped and her body tensed as Santana sat in the chair next to her, not sparing her a glance.

"So before we get started today I would like to address a few things. I know that some of you are against the changes that have been made and I want to say that I hear you but who you're partnered with right now will not change anytime in the foreseeable future. Having your parents call and complain won't get me to change anything. Like I said yesterday, if you don't like it, you can get your class changed. If not let's move on" said Mr. Mosher as he began walking down the middle aisle and handing out a piece of paper for each table.

"You guys first project is a simple "Get To Know One Another". Mr. Mosher handed out the worksheet as he continued with the instructions, "With your partner, you guys will ask one another the questions written on the sheet. Full participation from each person is expected and I will be walking around and monitoring each pair's interaction" he said as he stood in front of the class.

While he was talking, Rachel had quickly scanned the questions on the sheet that lay in-between she and Santana like a barrier. To anyone from a normal family they seemed like basic questions but Rachel came to the conclusion some time ago, that she wasn't normal, and for sure her family wasn't either. Her hand shot in the air as soon as Mr. Mosher asked if anyone had questions.

"Yes Ms. Berry" he said pointing at her.

"Is it possible I could speak to you after class?" she asked.

"Sure" he nodded, "alright get to it" he said clasping his hands together.

Rachel sighed heavily before going to a blank sheet of paper. _'Better to get this over with'_ she thought as she asked Santana what her full name was. The beautiful young woman looked over at her with disgust but answered anyway, "Santana Diabla Lopez…what's yours Berry?"

"Rachel Barbara Berry. How old are you?"

"Fifteen, and you?"

"Fifteen and my birthday is November 17th, '94"

"December 18th, 94" countered Rachel as she scribbled the date on her paper.

She and Santana did this song and dance for about ten minutes and Rachel conceded that she learned a lot Santana that she didn't know before. It didn't go unnoticed by Rachel that Santana tensed up slightly when questions about their family arose.

Mr. Mosher called everyone's attention back on him and she heard the entire class groan when he announced that each pair was expected to share one fact out that they had in common. Rachel glanced over at Santana and watched as the beautiful girl rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Alright let's start with Shane and Matthew" clapped Mr. Mosher.

Matt sat up straight in his seat along with Shane and looked through their answers, "well we're both on the football team" announced Shane with confidence. Rachel rolled her eyes in annoyance, everyone knew that. They both had letterman jackets to prove it.

Mr. Mosher smiled politely, "That's good boys but I'm looking for something that most people wouldn't know…the real stuff. It may not be something you have in common with one another but who is the real you behind the mask you put on for everyone daily."

"But Mr. Mosher you said you wanted us to have something in common with our partner" stated Quinn Fabray politely with a hint of sassiness in there, "how are we supposed to do that if we don't really know them that well."

"If you haven't found something in common with your partner then you haven't done the exercise correctly" refuted Mr. Mosher, "look in between the answers that you all gave with your partner and you'll see the true person, the real person and the real them. Even with superficial questions like what's your birthday" he said given every person in their small class eye contact to let them know how serious he was taking this particular project. "Boys try again and I'll return…let's have…Rachel and Santana next."

Rachel sat up and was panicking a little as well, she was going to say something easy like 'they both liked music' but now she was looking for something deeper after that small speech Mr. Mosher gave. Her eyes began scanning their answers to try and find something that would be acceptable for what their teacher was asking.

"Rachel and I are both being raised by single fathers" said Santana causing an uneasy stillness to settle over the classroom.

"Excellent Ms. Lopez, how did you come up with that inference based on the questions that were given?" asked Mr. Mosher.

"Well you asked for our father's names and their professions and Berry and I were able to give that with no problem. The same was asked about our mothers and we were able to give their names but we both hesitated on knowing their jobs. I figured the only reason we both paused was because we weren't quite sure what the answer to that was or we just didn't want to give it…hence us both being raised by single parents" Santana said softly.

Her voice carried simply from the quietness of everyone else in the room.

"Is her assessment accurate Ms. Berry?" asked Mr. Mosher.

"Yes sir it is, my father is a single parent" replied Rachel softly.

"Yeah that's because he's a known faggot" mumbled David Karofsky from behind her.

Rachel's face turned red and she flung her body around to tear into the oversized oaf but Mr. Mosher cut her off before she could get started.

"I'll see you in detention today Mr. Karofsky, where we'll explain to your parents why you're using derogatory words in the classroom setting against one of your peers" said Mr. Mosher with a deadly serious expression. Rachel's chest was heaving and she was fighting off the sting of tears as the bell rang out, but no one dared moved. They respected this man too much for them to bolt at the ringing of the bell, that and he was super pissed. "Tomorrow I expect everyone to work on this project of getting to know your partners better, so that you can receive the one hundred percent that Ms. Lopez and Ms. Berry worked for today. Class dismissed" he said tightly.

Rachel had never seen the class empty out so quickly but anger and humiliation was still coursing through her veins and it caused her to move at a slower pace. Finally gathering her emotions and putting them in check Rachel arose and made her way out of the classroom.

"Have a good day Ms. Berry" said Mr. Mosher as she made her way out of the room, completely forgetting that she wanted to talk to the man at the end of class.

"I'll try…and thanks" she whispered as she closed the door behind her. Because she moved so slowly it seemed to have cleared the halls enough that she didn't have to worry about being assaulted today. Thanking a higher power, she quickly maneuvered her way to the auditorium where she went to her exclusive room. She placed her ear buds in her ear and began thinking about her future. One day she would make it out of this cow town and back to New York where she belongs, but until then she was using this hardship to build up her character for when she would finally be on that Broadway stage and loved by her adoring fans. Everyone from this town would see how famous and successful she would become… _'just wait'_ thought Rachel to herself.

* * *

The rest of the week was typical for Rachel as far as the insults, harassments and slushies go. People were still cruel to her, Noah pretended as if she didn't exist and he participated in the awful treatment towards her, Jacob Ben Israel still grossed her out with his crude remarks and she often had to give pep talks to herself to keep going.

What was different was her class with Mr. Mosher.

The next day after David insulted her and her father's sexuality, he was made to apologize in front of the entire class to her. It was embarrassing for all involved and Mr. Mosher was making it clear that he wouldn't be accepting bullying of any kind in his classroom. Once you crossed his threshold, the social hierarchy was eviscerated and they were focusing on their projects and how they related to economics.

Rachel had learned quite a lot about Santana, not only the fiery beauty but a lot of her classmates. The "Getting To Know You" project made a lot of sense, now that Mr. Mosher put everything into context. He explained that who they are today in their formative years, would have a profound effect on the decisions and choices they would make as adults. This would affect the micro economics in their future homes, which would affect the macro economics of the country as a whole.

Unfortunately for Rachel, even though she learned things about her peers it didn't stop her day to day aggravations. In fact it seemed to worsen with each passing day.

Santana's insults were cutting, Quinn's disgusted look towards her was more intense, and Noah's allowance and participation in it all was wounding her deeper.

"It'll be okay Rachel" she whispered to herself on Thursday as she washed her hair for the third time that day.

"It'll be okay…you're a star and you're just paying your dues."

* * *

Leroy enjoyed being back in the city. It was home and he never realized how much he missed it until he came back to visit from time to time. It made him feel more relaxed and alive simultaneously.

The first place he went to after the plane touched down was his parents. The hospital had released his father and he was now home resting comfortably. Leroy was very concerned about his parents and he made that known to them almost immediately when he walked through the door. His sister, Lisa, was also present and together they tagged teamed their parents and eventually convinced them to stay for a few weeks with Leroy and the kids in Lima.

"It's good to see you Lee, we miss you round these parts" said Lisa with a fake country accent as they walked outside towards her car after the mini family reunion.

"I miss you guys too" he replied softly. Lisa was his backbone and out of everyone in his family, she handled his coming out the best. She said _'okay and you're buying pizza tonight'_. She was the younger of the two but often acted like the older sister, especially when Leroy was dealing with his major drama.

"Alright bro, I've gotta get back to the no neck monsters and my needy husband" said Lisa as she leaned in and gave him a tight hug. Leroy lifted her off the ground causing his sister to squeal and him to laugh. "Maybe we all can have dinner before I go" replied Leroy as he sat his sister back on the ground carefully.

"How about tonight? It'll save me having to cook" said Lisa as they continued their small trek towards her car.

"Can't tonight" shrugged Leroy, "have a shit ton of meetings and one important one tonight."

Lisa unlocked her car and sat down in the driver's seat, "a meeting…with who?" she inquired with a confused look on her face.

Leroy looked away quickly down the street and took a big breath.

"Aww Lee" said Lisa in exasperation, "c'mon you're better than this."

Leroy looked back at his sister and sighed. He could see the concern in her eyes even though he could tell she was getting angrier by the second.

"What could she possibly want after all these years? After what she's done and continues to do?" asked Lisa tightly.

"I don't know, that's why I'm going to meet with her. She's been blowing my phone up for weeks and frankly I'm tired of it."

Lisa shook her head in disgust.

"You never stop caring about people that you once loved that deeply" said Leroy in irritation. "They always have a place in your heart, especially when you share children."

"That's the point Lee, you don't share children with her. She walked out and now after everything she wants back in" replied Lisa, "you're weak around her sometimes" whispered out Lisa. Leroy knew it wasn't a dig at him…it was simply truth.

"I'll be fine…I'm stronger than what I seem" he said softly.

Lisa turned the car on and revved the engine, while slamming the car door in the process. Leroy waited until she rolled the window down and he leaned down and placed a small kiss on her cheek, "I'll be okay" he said as he leaned back up.

"I know you will, I can still be angry at that bitch for what she did" said Lisa angrily.

"Lisa" replied Leroy in a warning tone.

"Yeah, yeah" came the dismissive response, "make sure you see me in the boys before you and the parents roll out to west bumble fuck and leave the civilized place of New York" she said smartly.

Leroy tapped the hood of the car and response and watched as his sister zoomed down the street. Sighing heavily he went back inside to his parents so they could discuss the details of their departure.

* * *

Leroy found himself sitting in a very exclusive part of one of the finest restaurants New York had to offer, sipping on a glass of red wine. He was glad that they were able to fit him in at such a late notice and he knew a lot of that had to do with his former glory as a professional baseball player. Intrigue more than anything had him sitting here waiting for Shelby. It had been over a decade since he laid eyes on her or anything having to do with her and a part of him was hoping she turned into an ugly ogre.

He smirked at his lame joke, just as the hostess walked in and trailing right behind was Shelby, looking very un-ogre like. In fact she was as beautiful as he remembered, maybe even more. She had on a short form fitting black dress, with heels. Her hair was beautiful as they grazed her shoulders delicately and he suddenly remembered why he fell in love with her to begin with.

The hostess introduced Shelby and Leroy stood immediately. He might be gay but he never lost the manners his father taught him. He watched as the hostess helped Shelby be seated and the blush on her face didn't go unnoticed either.

"Can I get you two anything for now…a hors d'oeuvre?" asked the young hostess.

"No thank you, we're good" said Leroy quietly.

The hostess left announcing that their waiter would be in shortly. Once the hostess left, awkwardness made it's very real and first appearance.

Leroy stared at Shelby and he could see the nervousness in her eyes even though her face was like a stone. The more he looked though, the more his anger bubbled and began to boil in the pit of his stomach. The past came forward in his mind and that loathing, which he thought had settled years ago, came roaring back to life.

"Aren't you going to pour me some wine?" came Shelby's shaky voice, cutting through the haze of awkwardness and tension. The air was quickly shifting and Leroy knew Shelby could feel the rise of the tension in the air. He picked the glass out of the tub of ice and aggressively poured the drink into her waiting wine glass.

"Thank you Lee" replied Shelby.

"Don't call me that" he responded tersely, " _only_ family calls me that" he said seriously as he eyed her harshly, "what do you want from me?"

"I-I thought we could have dinner and c-catch up" Shelby stuttered out.

"Cut the bullshit Shelby, what do you want from me?" he asked again. Flashes of his children drugged and asleep in their old loft came to his mind and he fought hard not to see red and explode.

"I want to see them…Noah and Rachel" she whispered as her eyes watered.

Leroy's jaw clenched and he sat back. "No"

"Why not?" replied Shelby as she fought hard not to have her face crumble in emotion.

"Are you serious?" asked Leroy in indignation. "Have you forgotten what has happened here?"

"No I haven't" she replied clearing her throat. "I was hoping that I had been forgiven…I just want to see my children Leroy" Shelby pleadingly said.

"Correction, they're my children" said Leroy seriously, causing the tension in the room to be raised two more levels. "You've got some fucking nerve Shelby" he said lowering his voice, "you gave up all parental rights during the divorce and you don't get to renege on that because you finally have grown a conscious."

A few tears slipped out of Shelby's eyes and she quickly wiped them away. Not before Leroy noticed the wedding band and engagement ring on her left hand, causing him to scoff angrily.

"I don't know how you got my number but don't ever call me or text me again. Stay away Shelby and I mean it" he said standing and throwing down money on the table for the wine.

"Please" came the pathetic whimper, "please give me another chance."

Leroy looked over and down at Shelby's green eyes and he almost…almost caved, but thought better of it.

"No" he said before walking away towards the front of the restaurant.

"Why did you even come then?" asked Shelby angrily, "Why meet with me if you still hate me so much?"

Those questions caused him to stop suddenly and look back. Why had he come to meet with her? He could've ignored all of her reaching out instead of getting his manager to set up a meet. Did Shelby still have a hold on him even though he thought he had let her go?

Biting down on his bottom lip he turned around and sat back down in the seat he'd exited mere minutes ago. Looking over at his former wife he internally warred with the why he was even in this spot…still.

"I don't hate you Shelby" he said clearing his throat, "at one point I truly did but not anymore. I even thought the anger had gone away but seeing you has sorta brought it all back. It's clear I haven't forgiven you fully and I can now see that…but I don't hate you."

Silence filled the room as Shelby turned and looked away, her eyes watering once again as tears spilled out of her eyes and onto her cheeks. This time she just let them fall as she sniffled slightly and a small whimper came from her. More than anything Leroy hated seeing woman cry and in this moment it was particularly hard because Shelby was reminding him of Rachel.

"I'm sorry" she whispered out while turning her head back and looking at him deeply with her green eyes, "I'm really sorry."

And it suddenly clicked for Leroy. All this time he was waiting for an apology and for the first time since that wretched day, all those years ago, he finally saw sincerity and a whole lot of guilt. It was clear that Shelby was having difficulty with dealing with the choices she made and it was now clear to him that she was trying to make amends.

"What exactly are you sorry for?" came Leroy's delayed response. He sat back in his chair and took a quick sip of the wine that was still in his glass.

"For all of it" shrugged Shelby, "for leaving them the way I did and the manner in which I did. For letting my anger at you and the pain I was in cloud my judgment. I was so hurt Leroy…so hurt" she said shaking her head, "I couldn't see past that pain. I…I just needed to get away and I did any and everything I could to distance myself from you…that included leaving my children behind without a second thought. I reasoned that it was for the best. I didn't want to take out my anguish for you and put it on them. At the time I thought I was making the right choice. I couldn't have been more wrong."

Leroy found himself starring at Shelby for sometime before pulling out his phone and flipping to his gallery folder. He found a family picture they had done a couple a years ago and he marveled at how much his babies had changed since then. He turned his phone around and showed the picture to Shelby, who gasped as she looked at it before her face broke down slightly.

"Noah looks like me but he has your eyes" said Leroy tightly, "and Rachel looks exactly like you but she has my eyes…in fact she looks so much like you Shelby it scares me sometimes. But you should have realized what I did years ago; and that's no matter who they favor in looks they're still their own person and they have their own personalities that ultimately has nothing to do with either one of us."

He pulled the phone away from her and placed it into his pants pocket, "I'm glad you're finally coming around and you realize your mistakes but right now isn't the time for you to reappear in their lives. It's just not. So I need for you to be patient and when the time is right, I'll contact you…not a moment before then. Can you live with that?"

"I guess I'll have to" shrugged Shelby, "I don't have much of a choice."

"No you don't" said Leroy simply before getting up for a second time and walking out.

He didn't know the time or place but he would make good on his word and contact Shelby when things settled a little more at home for him and his kids. Bringing Shelby into their lives now didn't seem like a smart choice. It would be better to wait and keep the distance that she instigated initially.

 _ **Hello everyone. I hope you liked this chapter! Thoughts, reviews, and critiques are appreciated. For whatever reason, I can't see some people's reviews on the website but it goes to my email. I'm so sorry because I'm trying my best to respond back to people when they leave their thoughts and comments. This is a different way of explaining the Berry family and all that comes with it. Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Leelan ~ the only reason I didn't want guest is because I couldn't respond personally back to them. I'm sorry if that came off kinda rude. Also I noticed that some 'guests' like to leave anonymous reviews on why your story sucks, but then don't give you good critiques on how to improve the writing.**_


	4. Chapter 3

New York wasn't a total bust.

Leroy was able to meet with his financial adviser and he learned that the investments he made as a young man were paying off tremendously now. There was enough in savings, he still was making good money by being a sports analyst every now and then, the kid's college fund was stacked, and they also had a nice little nest egg that they would get after he was long gone. Money was never an issue in his adult life. Playing professional baseball made sure of that and he helped bring three World Series to NYC.

His knee blowing out was his reasoning for early retirement but the truth was he wanted to spend more time with his kids. Not only that he wanted to be out of the spotlight of New York City so his private life could stay private and he didn't have to worry about his kids getting caught in the middle. So off to Lima they went. You can't get more off the grid then that and most days Leroy was appreciative of that.

Since things were going so well, he decided to splurge and treat his parents to a good time. So he ordered a private plane to make sure the trip back to Ohio was nice and comfortable. Why not? He believed in giving his parents their flowers while they were still here and after his dad had the health scare, things needed to be as calm as possible around the Berry clan. So they sat in first class, his parents drank wine and they had a nice lunch provided for them.

Once they landed, Leroy packed up his truck he left in the parking garage and they were on their way to Lima. Leroy had a good discussion about what happened with Shelby. Lisa reacted in her normal angry self back in New York but his parents felt differently about it…especially his dad.

"I just think you should give her this chance son" said his father for like the tenth time since they've been in the car.

"I know dad, I know you do but now just isn't the time. Rachel and Noah are at each other's throats and I've finally found someone that is good to me. Someone I finally feel comfortable enough to bring around the kids…adding Shelby to this would just be complicating things. I don't need complication right now…I need peace" replied Leroy. He saw through his peripherals that his dad was shaking his head in disagreement and he could hear his mother sighing slightly in the back.

"She made need peace as well" said his mother softly. Leroy clenched his jaw instead of responding. Whatever Shelby needed wasn't his concern right now or priority, he was eager to get home to see his kids, to see Hiram and to get his parents settled.

"How about I get the kids out of school early and we can have a nice lunch?" he said effectively changing topics.

"That sounds great" said his mom excitedly.

"I can't wait to see these growing teenagers you have" said his father. Leroy could almost hear the smile in his dad's voice.

"Well Rachel's destined to be small" laughed Leroy in reply, "and Noah is coming into that athletic body of his. He's on the football team but I really think he can excel in baseball."

"You're only saying that because you want him to follow in your footsteps" said his mother knowingly.

"True…no sense in denying it, but he's just naturally gifted athletically and I would like to see him use it to his full potential. I would also like to see better grades from him but that's neither her or there" said Leroy.

"Is Hiram going to be around for this lunch?" asked his dad.

"He can if you would like to meet him dad" said Leroy with a little hesitation.

"Good, I wanna meet this guy that has my son flustered every time he talks about him" said his father cheekily.

Leroy chuckled softly and fought off blushing. He knew he was blessed. His parents accepted him for him being him and he knew other gay kids didn't have it this easy. It meant the world to him that he was shown love from his entire family; especially his father and he told his dad that several times. Leroy knew it wasn't easy for his father to accept the fact that his only son was gay. It was an adjustment for everyone involved but his father put his best foot forward and tried for the sake of everyone and keeping their family as one unit. Because of his father's strength, they'd grown closer as father and son and their family was still strong.

The rest of the ride was spent in amiable chatter and relaxation. They got back to Lima with good timing and Leroy was happy to see his home still standing after being gone for a few days. He dropped off his parent's luggage in the guest rooms and did a quick sweep to make sure everything was still in order before hurrying back out to the car and towards McKinley High.

He'd missed his kids tremendously over the weekend and the opportunity to surprise them with an early release was amazing.

Helping his mom out of the car, the trio of Berry's made their way to the school office for visitor's passes. Instead of calling Noah and Rachel to the office, Leroy decided it would be cooler to meet them by their classes. What he didn't bank on was the bell ringing as soon as he and his parents left the office and being surrounded by hundreds of students in the hallway all at once.

Even though it was annoying, he was able to maneuver through the halls pretty well with his parents directly behind him with little to no problem. His height gave him an advantage as he turned the corner and finally saw his daughter walking through the hall. Leroy's face instantly fell though as he could see the stressed look on his daughters face and the look of what he knew to be fear. Rachel's shoulders were tensed and she was clutching her notebook to her chest tightly as if trying to protect herself.

He was about to yell out Rachel's name when a horrific scene played out in front of him. A gigantic boy, with a Letterman jacket on, came seemingly out of nowhere and pushed his baby girl harshly, causing her to fly shoulder first into the nearby lockers. It seemed like everything went in slow motion as he watched Rachel crumble to the ground and immediately reached for her shoulder as she cried out in pain. The gigantic boy that just assaulted his small daughter gave a raucous laugh, as several other students mostly cheerleaders and football players pointed and laughed at his daughter on the ground. The final straw was the giant oaf high-fiving another student…his son Noah Berry who seemed to be not only laughing but condoning the mistreatment of his sister.

Leroy had seen enough and although it felt like he was standing still in shock for hours it was only a few seconds. All reasoning and professionalism left his body and he went charging down the hall probably scaring some of the student body on his way.

His heart was telling him to go towards Rachel first but the rage that he felt coursing through his body led him to the perpetrator of the horrifying offense. The offender had to be close to or over two hundred and fifty pounds but that did nothing to deter Leroy from picking him up and slamming his body against the lockers on the opposite side of Rachel, "What the fuck is your problem!" he screamed in the young boy's face.

His yelling instantly caused everything to stop and stillness combined with an eerie silence filled the once bustling hallway.

"Answer me!" Leroy screamed once again as he slammed the boy's body into the locker with more aggression this time.

The young man began stammering and Leroy could feel and hear his blood pulsing in his ears. He hadn't been this angry in awhile. He could hear his parents behind him attending to Rachel and his baby girl wailed out in pain yet again and Leroy lost it. He cocked his arm back quickly and slugged the jock across his face. The contact his fist made with the boy's nose made a sickening sound and he heard several gasps around the hallway, "oh my gosh Karofsky" was heard over and over again as the over-sized boy slumped down against the lockers and his big hands went towards his face.

Leroy stepped back and he breathed through his flared nostrils as his eyes connected with those of his son's. Noah had the presence of mind to take a step back and gulp as Leroy eyed him dangerously. As a father he always felt that need to protect but he also felt his throat constrict at the amount of emotions he was feeling on the inside. Everything he feared as a parent seemed to be coming true and he didn't know how to handle it, except to get angrier. As Leroy squared his eyes, he could see the fear in Noah's own eyes and Leroy's jaw clenched. He was about to approach his son, but he felt his body jerk as someone tackled him to the ground.

Someone was on top of him and they were manipulating his body in a rough manner. Rachel screamed out as Leroy's head was being pressed into the ground harshly and he felt his arms being forced behind his back as he felt handcuffs being placed around his wrists. Leroy was forced to his feet and he looked around at the expressions of everyone.

Rachel was scared but clearly in pain, Noah was scared but also in shock, the young man he hit was on the ground crying in pain, and the rest of the student body was looking at him with stunned faces. He was pretty sure he was being read his rights but Leroy couldn't hear anything over the sound of his own heart breaking. He saw his daughter with his own eyes being assaulted and he also saw his own son stand by and do nothing. He knew something bad was going on between them but never had he imagined it would be something this horrific.

"Dad" Leroy said as the school officer began leading him down the corridor.

"Don't worry son, I'll take care of everything."

It was all Leroy needed to hear as he watched the school administrators and teachers try to get a hold on the situation and lead the students back to class.

* * *

Rachel watched as her father was being led down the hall and she began crying harder. She was in excruciating pain and her mind was trying it's best to catch up with everything that just happened.

"Its okay baby girl" she heard her grandma say, "everything's going to be okay."

Rachel just shook her head in disbelief as she gingerly touched her shoulder. Nothing would ever be the same after today. She'd tried so hard to keep going and to keep things under wraps but it all came tumbling down in a matter of minutes. An overwhelming feeling began to splinter into her emotions. She was happy to see her grandmother but she was also extremely embarrassed, scared, and in physical and emotional pain.

She could feel the eyes of several of her school mates looking at her but she refused to make eye contact with any of them. She needed to get out of here but she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to move any way with the pain she felt.

"You need to stay here" she heard her granddad say tightly and Rachel knew instantly that it was directed towards Noah.

A siren sound out loudly in the distance and she knew that the ambulance would be her escape and a sense of gratitude came over her. Or would that be the police? Rachel blinked a few times as more tears ran down her face and she noticed that the hall was now practically empty. She could see the EMT workers running towards them and her grandmother was shifted so they could begin to look her over.

She was hit with a ton of questions about where her pain was and how bad it felt. She glanced over and saw that David Karofsky was getting the same type of treatment. She locked eyes with her brother really quickly and saw worry etched on his face. It was something she hadn't seen directed at her from her brother in quite awhile but Rachel had to wonder if it was for her or for himself. Irritation began to fill her spirit and was another addition to the emotions she was already dealing with.

This whole situation sucked and a massive headache was making its appearance. She just wanted to get home and snuggle down in the comfort of her bed and block out all this madness or pretend it never happened in the first place.

Rachel was helped to her feet and asked if she could walk steady. She gave a weak 'yes' in response and she was helped out of the school by a kind EMT. As they slowly walked down the hall Rachel locked eyes with a pair of troubled chocolate ones. Twenty minutes ago she would've jumped for joy at anyone at this school showing that amount of concern for her, especially a cheerleader, but life has a way of putting things in perspective. Now with her shoulder feeling the way it does and her family in a dysfunctional state, it really didn't matter what anyone thought at the moment.

* * *

"Okay so bad news is that your shoulder is dislocated" said Dr. Lopez , "but the okay news is that it's a simple dislocation that won't require surgery."

"Oh thank God" Rachel heard her grandmother say as she sighed in relief.

"So what we're going to do is to get you some more good pain meds through your IV and I will be back in once they take effect and pop that shoulder back in place. We'll take another x-ray after that to make sure everything's in place than I'm gonna fit you with a cool looking brace. We have different colors, if you don't want the standard black one…sound like a plan?" asked Dr. Lopez.

Rachel nodded as she heard her grandmother give verbal consent. She was no longer in pain but emotionally she felt raw. Her grandfather was in the corner of the room speaking assertively into the phone, while Noah was sitting in the corner of the room with his face downcast. A part of Rachel felt like Noah deserved to feel the way he felt, especially after the tongue lashing their grandfather gave him once they were settled into the private room.

 _A nurse ushered Rachel into a room that felt cold, used, and sterile. She gently sat Rachel on the hospital bed and proceeded to take her vitals and hook up Rachel's IV in her uninjured arm. Once Rachel was set, the nurse explained that her doctor would be in the room in a few minutes. The nurse closed the door behind her and her granddad immediately went in on Noah._

" _You should be ashamed of yourself!" yelled her grandfather at Noah._

" _This is not the time or place" admonished her grandmother._

" _Well when is the time and place Katherine! This boy is an utter disgrace!" yelled her grandfather._

" _At the very least, lower your tone Ira" hissed her grandmother, "we don't need the whole floor knowing what's going on here."_

 _Rachel watched her grandfather flare is nostrils and huff angrily, reminding Rachel of her dad, before looking over at Noah and staring daggers at him, "how could you allow that to happen to Rachel?" he asked with disgust apparent over his entire body, "she's your sister Noah and you sat there and laughed while some lard of a boy pushed her violently into a locker."_

 _Noah remained quiet while his head was turned to the side._

" _You weren't this quiet when you were pointing and laughing at her being in obvious pain" said her grandfather angrily. His voice had lowered considerably but you could still hear the anger and disappointment laced all through it. Rachel continued to stare at her brother, she could see a few tears slip out his eyes but she had no idea what it meant, and that seemed to only anger her grandfather some more._

" _I don't want to see those phony tears. You're only upset because you got caught and you're in trouble…big trouble. Your father has been arrested simply because he was trying to protect his daughter and you couldn't even be bothered" said her grandfather as he scoffed in irritation, "that's all right though because we're here now and things are definitely going to change around here."_

 _Just as he finished his spiel Rachel's doctor walked through the door. She looked at the man and her brow creased in confusion because he looked very familiar but she shook it off as a sharp pain spread through her shoulder._

In all honesty, Rachel didn't want to see her brother in this type of trouble; he was still her brother after all. As she thought about the day and the past few months an abundance of emotions hit her once again; she felt relief, anger, embarrassment, worry, betrayal and heartache. She didn't realize that a stream of tears was falling down her face until her grandmother's soft hand began wiping her tears and giving her soft kisses on her cheeks.

"Shhh my precious baby" cooed her grandmother as she tucked a piece of Rachel's locks behind her ear. "It's going to be alright…you hear me?"

Rachel nodded again but she didn't quite believe that.

Her grandfather hung up the phone and sighed heavily. It was then that Rachel remembered that he'd had a health scare previously.

"Granddad you should r-relax a little" stuttered out Rachel emotionally.

"She's right, have a seat honey" said her grandmother.

He sat in the available seat in the room and sighed, "Hiram is already working on getting Lee out. If everything works out he should make bail late this evening. Hiram also said he's going to get in contact with Lee's publicist and none of us should make any statements."

"Trust me I won't" Rachel replied as she grimaced when she moved her body too quickly.

"Try and stay still honey…we'll be home soon" her grandmother said softly as she began wiping the residual wetness off her face. Rachel craved this affection, not that her dad didn't give it to her on a regular basis. In fact Rachel was quite spoiled, but it was something about the motherly touch of a woman and that's something that her father just couldn't provide even though he always tried.

While Rachel was getting pampered, Dr. Lopez walked back in and got to work. Before she could fully wrap her brain around everything her shoulder was popped back in place, she was fitted with a pink brace and given more pain medication to take home with her. Rachel looked up and she was in front of her house being escorted gingerly up their walk way by her grandmother. Her grandfather opened the door with the spare key he always carried around and let the family in.

Rachel watched as Noah was told harshly to go to his room by both grandparents. She saw his eyes square and he looked as if he was about to put up a fight, but he suddenly looked over at Rachel and she watched his shoulders deflate. He turned suddenly and stomped up the stairs to his room and slammed the door shut. She watched her grandfather carefully as he looked up the stairs angrily.

"C'mon princess, let's get some food in you so you can take the pain medicine the doctor prescribed" she heard her grandmother say as the older woman ushered her into the kitchen. She sat down carefully as her grandmother opened up the refrigerator and began warming up the pasta she had last night.

"When's dad coming home?" asked Rachel quietly, "It'll be tonight, right?"

"We can only hope baby" replied her grandmother softly as she turned and rubbed her cheek gingerly. She placed her hand under Rachel's chin and lifted it causing Rachel to make eye contact with the darker woman, "all I want you to be concerned with is telling the truth. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that we're in this situation because you and your brother haven't been honest." Rachel looked away in shame. Her grandmother let her face go and sighed heavily. She watched her shake her head and turn back to warming up her dinner.

After dinner, her grandmother helped her shower, which was utterly embarrassing but she did need the help changing her clothing and getting clean. Her dad wasn't home yet and it was making Rachel perpetually sadder as the hours pressed on. Noah's door stayed closed, which caused more anxiety to be present. Her grandparents tried keeping her mind off of everything by trying to preoccupy her mind. Her grandfather gave her two pills and her grandmother placed "The Music Man" in the dvd player. Rachel sat on the large sofa in their den next right in-between the older couple. Before long Rachel had maneuvered herself carefully onto her grandmother and she drew comfort for the back rub she was getting from the woman.

It didn't take long for the medicine and the back rub to take effect and she was out like a light.

* * *

Leroy Berry was pissed as he sat in the passenger seat of Hiram's car.

He'd set bail quite some time ago but the Lima police were moving slow with his papers and release on purpose. They'd figured out who he was in no time. Some of the guys were asking for autographs but the bulk of them were looking at him with disgust. He'd assaulted a teenager, but Leroy didn't give two flying fucks at all. That giant mammoth had assaulted his baby and he'd knew he be able to beat the chargers if and when they went to court. He was protecting his family like any good father and man would.

But even with all of that going on, that wasn't why he was truly pissed.

His son, whom he thought he taught how to protect the youngest and smallest of their family, had participated in the physical and emotional beat down that happened to Rachel. He wanted to rip his sons head off and Hiram was trying his best to keep him calm, but the closer they got to his home the angrier he became.

"I know you're enraged right now Lee but try to remember he's a teenager and more importantly he's your son" Hiram said softly.

Leroy only nodded in return and once Hiram parked, Leroy quickly got out of the car and rushed into his house. He looked at the wall clock as he heard Hiram shut the door behind them and it read a little after four in the morning. He could hear noise coming out of the den, so instead of rushing upstairs he walked swiftly towards that area.

Upon entering he saw the large television stuck on the title screen of "The Music Man". He looked over towards the sofa and saw his daughter asleep on top of his sleeping mom, while his dad held Rachel's feet in his lap as he was fast asleep as well. Leroy walked over quietly and looked down at his baby girl face, but all he could see in the back of his mind was that 'Karofsky' boy knocking her into a locker. He looked down at her shoulder and he could see what looked to be a brace under her over-sized sleeping shirt.

Leroy bent over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He didn't want to but he had to wake all of them up or their bodies would pay for it later that morning.

"Dad" called Leroy softly as he shook the shoulder of his older doppelganger. His father stirred and began blinking his eyes so he could adjust to the light, "I'm home" stated Leroy as his dad's eyes landed on him.

"I see" smiled his father kindly, as Leroy began shaking Rachel's body which also helped to shake his mothers.

Rachel began whimpering slightly as she woke up but Leroy leaned over and began to hush her, "daddy" she said with a croaky voice.

"Hey princess" he responded softly, "c'mon let's get you into your bed" he said. He helped lift her off his mom, making sure to use her good shoulder. He saw Rachel still grimace slightly and it pained him internally. He never got to do his own inspection, so once she was standing on her own two feet he immediately pulled up the left side of her shirt.

"Dad!" squealed Rachel who was completely horrified.

"Hush, it ain't nothing I ain't ever seen before" chastised Leroy softly as he began looking at her shoulder. The anger he was trying to keep at bay came roaring back to life like an electronic fireplace. He touched softly at the back of Rachel's shoulder which was already a combination of sickening colors of blue, purple, and black. He pulled her shirt back down as he breathed heavily through his nostrils.

He turned his daughter around and looked down at a pair of eyes that were exactly like his own, "why didn't you tell me that this bullying was going on young lady?" he asked in his no nonsense way.

"Lee, don't you think this can wait?" said his mother who had finally sat up on the sofa.

"No it can't mama" replied Leroy tersely, "I asked you Rachel Barbara what was going on and you blatantly lied to me…I wanna know why and I wanna know now" he said as his voice raised slightly.

He watched as his daughter's bottom lip began to tremble as she tried not to cry, "because I was handling it" came the defiant response.

"You being fitted with a brace is you handling it?" said Leroy angrily. "If I hadn't shown up today, you would've never told me this was going on Rachel!" he said as his voice got even louder.

"Lee calm down" said his father in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be calm about this" he responded, "you were being bullied Rachel, not only were you being bullied but your own brother was a part of it and you were never going to tell me about it. I thought I raised you with better confidence then to allow people to treat you like crap."

Fat tears fell of his daughters face as she remained quiet causing his own eyes to water slightly. Even though Noah had treated her with utter disregard, his child was still standing in front of him and trying to protect his pig-headed son. It made no sense but he was going to get to the bottom of this nonsense.

Leroy turned away from Rachel and headed out of the den and up the stairs. He reached his son's bedroom door and banged through it startling Noah awake, "Get up!" Leroy roared causing to Noah scramble out of his bed with fear in his eyes.

"Start explaining…now" he said tightly as he eyed his son. A pair of green eyes looked at him; eyes that favored his mother.

"E-explain what" Noah stuttered out.

Leroy clenched his jaw and squared his eyes, "explain why you didn't protect your sister today" he said inching closer to his son, "explain why you pointed and laughed in her face while she was on the floor crying in pain. I want you to explain why you weren't protecting her and this family? Why were you being a follower and participating in the humiliation of your own blood?"

At this point he was standing right in front of his son and looking down at him, "start talking" Leroy said dangerously.

Noah looked away from him and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "it's not that big of a deal dad, Rachel's annoying and a know-it-all and most of that stuff she brought on herself."

Leroy looked at him incredulously, "how did she bring a dislocated shoulder onto herself?!" he screamed at his son.

"She's just her!" yelled back Noah, "and I'm sick of it. She brings down my rep at school just by being herself!"

"You care more about your rep than your own sister!" screamed Leroy back, "who the hell are you right now?!"

Noah sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. Leroy for his part couldn't believe that this was his son standing in front of him. It felt like some demon came in and possessed him and took his precious boy away. Yelling at Noah wasn't getting him any answers so Leroy decided to change tactics.

"Please son, talk to me" Leroy pleaded softly.

"You want me to talk" said Noah angrily, "fine I'll talk! I hate this family! I hate everything about it! I hate the fact that Rachel looks like her! I hate that she wants to be her so badly but that woman wants nothing to do with us! I hate that Rachel's such a freakin' loser, that I can't even claim her as my sister at school! I hate that we even live here in Lima! I hate this place and I hate that you made us move here! I hate you and I hate everything about you!"

Leroy stood stock still with clear shock written on his face.

"You're a fucking fag! I can't even tell my friends that my dad was a part of the world famous Yankees because he likes sleeping with other dudes! I can't even be comfortable in my own home because you have a boyfriend that's more of a fag than you are! And I'm just supposed to accept this dysfunctional ass family! Fuck that! Rachel's a joke and so are you!" Noah screamed in Leroy's face.

Without thinking Leroy grabbed Noah's shirt and begin dragging him out of his room and down the steps. Noah was hitting on Leroy's arm and screaming to let him go and a whole bunch of other obscenities but he refused to release him until they were at the bottom of the steps. Leroy flung Noah aggressively into the foyer ripping his shirt in the process.

"You don't wanna be raised by a fag!" Leroy screamed angrily, "Then get out!" he yelled as he ripped the rest of Noah's shirt off. "I don't want you wearing anything that was given to you by a fag because your manhood is much more important that that!" After ripping Noah's shirt off, he began pulling at Noah sweatpants and underwear. He flipped Noah onto the ground and tore off the rest of his clothing, even down to the socks. Once his son was completely naked, he opened the front door, "Get out" said Leroy coldly as he was breathing heavily, "This fag doesn't want you here anymore" he said brokenly.

Noah was staring up at him in complete shock.

"I said get the fuck out of my house!" Leroy yelled out.

He watched as his son got up off the ground slowly and tried covering his nakedness with his hands. Noah walked slowly towards the front of the door but he was moving too slow for Leroy's taste so he pushed his son out of the front door aggressively, which caught Noah off guard, causing him to fall down on the front porch. Noah quickly turned around to look up at his dad, shock and fear written all over his face.

"You better be off my property by the time the sun rises or I will have you arrested for trespassing" said Leroy before slamming the door so ferociously that it seemed to shake the entire house to its foundation. He turned around and was met with several pairs of eyes. Rachel was in shock but she began crying intensely and he watched as his mother began to instantly comfort his daughter. Hiram's eyes were watery and his father's eyes were filled with pain.

Leroy couldn't stand it so he quickly walked to the back of his home and out onto his back yard, slamming the door behind him in the process.

He was wounded deeply. So much so, that he didn't know if he'd ever be able to recover.

* * *

Leroy was still outside on the back porch. The sun had risen and it was a beautiful early morning.

Tears flowed off his face in a constant stream as he cried quietly, like he'd been doing since he came out there. How such a gorgeous day could be marred with such heartache was beyond his understanding.

He heard the back door open behind him but he didn't dare turn around to see who was there. He could feel his father's presence without having to turn around. Together father and son looked out at his yard and the beautiful nature that surrounded it.

Leroy had no clue how long they were out there together but it was sometime before his dad spoke.

"I'm only going to say this once" started his dad, "I didn't raise no fag. I raised a man. Sometimes our children hurt us and cause us an enormous amount of pain without realizing how much damage they are doing. Your son wanted to wound you. He knew what he was saying would hurt you and he didn't care. You cry your tears; you show your pain…but then wipe them away and be the man I know you are and fix this. You'll fix this because you love him more than he will ever know and one day you'll forgive him."

His father patted his shoulder and squeezed it, "I love you Lee" he said before turning around and walking back into the house.

Leroy was so distraught that he couldn't respond. All he could do was lower his head and cry.

* * *

 _ **So here's chapter three. Thanks everyone for the thoughtful reviews and comments. The adds, follows, and favs are heartwarming. Let me know what you think and thanks again!**_


	5. Chapter 4

It was a week later.

Rachel was sitting between her dad and Hiram and they were in a large conference room at her school. There was a tension filled silence that permeated throughout the room causing her to be very, very anxious. She could feel the angry waves coming off her father in droves.

Even though her family was going through a very traumatic experience, her father was a smart man. After Noah was kicked out and her dad had calmed down a bit he came in and asked Rachel to tell the truth…about everything.

" _Rach, I need for you to be honest with me" pleaded Leroy with red-rimmed eyes, "please."_

 _Rachel looked into a pair of eyes much like her own. They were filled with immense pain and it was so unbearable it forced her to look away and slump her shoulders. For the first time in years she spilled her guts about everything. The name calling, the slushies, and the pushing. She told her father about who the main perpetrators were including her very own brother and she even expounded on the room she used at school to shower and to recharge her emotions after they'd been shot down day after day. She told it all._

 _Her father didn't interrupt once and when she was done, she glanced up at him and saw a dangerous fire in his eyes._

" _Daddy" she whispered quietly._

 _Leroy picked up his cell phone that Rachel just noticed was there and made a phone call._

Her father had Hiram hire a private investigator to examine everything that Rachel said. Not only was his research quick but it was very thorough, hence why the tension was so thick in the air in the conference room. Somehow their private investigator had gotten a hold of the security cameras from the school and he'd put a montage together of all the bullying that had occurred in the hallways of Rachel, with the climax being the harsh push that David Karofsky had given her the week before. The video had been close to ten minutes in length and the school year hadn't been that long as of yet.

Rachel glanced around the table and examined the expressions of everyone in attendance. The school's administration looked almost dumbfounded, including Principal Figgins. Rachel moved her eye's along and saw David Karofsky sitting between his parents looking angry, while his parents looked embarrassed mixed with a combination of anger. Quinn Fabray was looking scared, while both her parents looked irate. Santana Lopez had the decency to look shameful as her father sat next to her…Dr. Lopez, the same Dr. that treated her in the emergency room and anger was present all over his face. Her brother, Noah, was in the corner looking forlornly but refused to make eye contact with her or their father. Finn Hudson, Azimio Adams, Jacob Ben Israel, Brittany Pierce, and a few more cheerleaders and football players were in attendance and so were their parents. There were also a few surprises present, including Coach Tanaka, Sue Sylvester and the superintendent of Lima Public Schools, Bob Harris.

"Let me be the first to apologize on behalf of the entire school system Mr. Berry" started Superintendent Harris.

Rachel watched as her father held up his hand for the man to stop, "I really don't want apologies right now. Apologies won't fix my daughters shoulder, will it?" Leroy questioned angrily.

Hiram cleared his throat indicating for Leroy to be quiet, "I think it's understandable that Mr. Berry is enraged and after witnessing what we just saw…he's right to feel the way he does. I think what the Berry family is looking for is action…not necessarily apologies, although those would be welcomed as well."

"Well I assure you that the Berry family will have their action" replied the superintendent, "Principal Figgins, please call your secretary in so that we can have official documentation of all that is about to happen."

Silence filled the conference room again as the secretary came in and sat behind a computer that was in the corner of the room. Superintendent Harris walked over towards the secretary, standing directly behind her, "before I hand out punishments, let me say I am utterly appalled at the bullying that has been allowed to permeate throughout the halls of _this_ school. It's clear that these actions and inaction's have been coming from the top down and trust me that will be handled" he said seriously as he glared at Principal Figgins, "but as of now, I have to deal with the actual perpetrators. Starting with David Karofsky" he said as he tapped the secretary's shoulder, "Mr. Karofsky, out of everyone in this room you've been shown on tape the most bullying Ms. Berry. It was consistent and it was clear by your actions that you cared nothing about what this was doing to this young lady. You're almost three times her size and you felt it was necessary to physically assault her more than once on school property. I think her father showed great restraint when dealing with you because if it was my child, you would have had more injuries to you than your nose. I promise you that" Superintendent Davis said angrily.

"Even if Mr. Berry and his lawyer didn't file charges against you, there is still a strong possibility that my office will." Superintendent Harris paused so that the secretary could finish up typing before he continued, "David Karofsky, you are here-by expelled from William McKinley High School. You have the right to appeal the expulsion to the school board but after they see this footage and hear the testimonies of the other students you've harassed besides Ms. Berry I'm sure they will uphold my decision."

Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock; she expected some type of retribution but not this.

"Mr. Berry do you have anything you would like to add" asked Superintendent Harris.

"No I do not" responded her father tightly.

"Ms. Berry, do you have anything you would like to say?" he asked.

Rachel looked up but replied with a soft 'no'.

"Mr. and Mrs. Karofsky, anything to add" questioned the superintendent.

"Yes" said Paul Karofsky, "I have to admit I came to this meeting today feeling justified in having the charges against Mr. Berry upheld. I knew my son wasn't innocent but I didn't think that what he did would warrant him having a broken nose. How wrong was I?" Paul looked over at his son in bewilderment, "The person I saw on that video tape looks like my son, but it isn't the same young man I've become accustomed to. My David is kind, warm, funny, and caring. He's also very protective and he would never allow someone to treat his sister the way he treated Rachel on that tape. I apologize to you Mr. Berry" said Paul brokenly, "I apologize to you also Rachel. I'm ashamed, I'm utterly ashamed of my son's behavior and I will petition personally to have the charges against you dropped, Mr. Berry."

Leroy nodded his head agreement while saying a soft 'thank you' in return.

"Normally I would ask your family to leave school grounds immediately but there are other students who have come forward with eerily similar stories about David's bullying. These students are here with their parents as well and their voices deserve to be heard" said Superintendent Harris.

"I understand" replied Paul.

Superintendent huffed out in frustration. The look on his face was a mix of utter bewilderment and anger.

"Ms. Quinn Fabray…you were also seen on the tape quite a lot. You've walked around this school with a faux since of superiority that has been allowed by those in leadership in this building. That will no longer be acceptable. Most of these so called "slushy attacks" happened on your order and they happened to the kids that are deemed to be 'unworthy' in your opinion. With that said you are suspended for two weeks and you will no longer be allowed on the Cheerio's for the rest of semester."

"This will not stand!" screamed Sue Sylvester and Mr. Fabray at the same time. Rachel's eyes widened as she took in the scene around her. Superintendent Harris leveled Coach Sylvester with a hard look, "if you have an issue with my decision you can take it up with the school board Mr. Fabray" he replied harshly while never letting his eyes leave the cheer-leading coach, "please leave school grounds immediately."

"And if I don't?" asked Mr. Fabray in a dangerous low tone. It was enough to make the hairs on the back of Rachel's neck stand up.

"Then you'll be escorted off by police and promptly arrested for trespassing" replied Superintendent Harris while finally placing his eyes on Mr. Fabray, "so let's make this easier on everyone and just escort your family off the premises…please" he said tightly.

Rachel could see how red Mr. Fabray's neck was, and it frightened her.

"Let's go" he said angrily as stormed out of the conference room. Mrs. Fabray and Quinn followed dutifully, both cheeks tinged in pink.

"Next order of business" said Superintendent Harris.

Rachel watched for the next hour as Bob Harris dished out heavy loads of punishments to all that were involved in the bullying. There were some students who weren't caught on the tape but their friends "snitched on them". All and all David was expelled, Quinn received two weeks suspension, Santana received two weeks as well. Finn Hudson got a week of suspension for basically standing by and doing nothing, Azimio Adams was granted three weeks of suspension for the incidents with Rachel alone. She was sure he'd get more once the other kids outside gave their accounts of what happened. Jacob Ben Israel was given a month of suspension and was order to take classes and receive counseling on sexual harassment. He then had to appear in front of the school board and they would decide if he could return back to McKinley or if he would have to go to another district high school. Brittany Pierce received one week as well as a bunch of low level Cheerios and football players that were nameless to Rachel but she knew their faces well.

The conference room was empty now except for all of the adults, Rachel and Noah.

"Mr. Berry I saved your son for last because of the sensitive nature involved with a brother bullying his own sister" said Superintendent Harris, "Noah was seen on that video multiple times as well…so we have to suspend him but there are some things that are a little confusing."

"I understand" said Leroy tightly, "you do what you have to in order for Rachel to have the justice she deserves for the matters at hand. No one that was mistreating my daughter thought about her feelings and how this made her feel. So she can't be concerned about that now and I damn sure am not worried about them."

Superintendent Harris nodded, "very well, Noah Puckerman I-"

"His last name is Berry…Noah Brennan Berry is his full name" said Leroy angrily.

"I'm sorry Mr. Berry, it says on this school document…several school documents that his last name was Puckerman…hence our surprise and confusion when we found out that he and Rachel are siblings" replied Principal Figgins, who had just spoken for the first time in over an hour.

"Puckerman is my ex-wife's maiden name. It seems my son may have forged my signature on some important school documents with the hopes that people would be confused and he was successful at it, but I would appreciate it if you'd but his birth name…his given name on any further documents" replied Leroy angrily.

Rachel watched as a vein pulsed on her father's neck and she reached over with her good arm and grabbed his hand.

"We'll do that immediately Mr. Berry" replied Superintendent Harris, "I think for his involvement in these horrendous behaviors, Noah Berry will be suspended for approximately two months and he will not be allowed to participate in any school sports for the rest of this school year."

Rachel watched as her brother's jaw clinched tightly much like her fathers.

"Do you have anything to say Noah?" asked Principal Figgins.

Noah stood up and squared his shoulders as he looked over at their father dangerously. Rachel finally got a proper look at her brother and noticed how baggy his clothing was on him and she knew he was wearing Finn's clothes. He looked tired and worn down and Rachel noticed that behind all that anger was a lot of pain. It crushed her internally to be witnessed to her family being in such turmoil.

Noah didn't say anything but walked out of the room, after he snatched his suspension papers out of the secretaries' hand.

"I hope that you are satisfied with what happened, Mr. Berry. Trust and believe major changes will be happening here at McKinley and Rachel will no longer have to worry about being a victim at school while trying to get her education. Is there anything else you want to see happen here today?" questioned the superintendent.

"Yes, there are a few things that I would like to see done in this school. I'm very appreciative of the suspensions that were given to the students involved but more has to be done to keep every child at this school safe, not just mine. Firstly, I think your entire staff needs to have workshops done on identifying bullying, preventive measures, and so on" said her father, "it's clear that there wasn't any interventions even on the ground level to help my daughter. This staff needs to be educated so they can implement strategies to prevent this level of bullying from ever happening again. The next thing I want is for that slushy machine to be out of here and gone forever. Thirdly I think there she be more emphasis placed on the arts in this school."

Rachel saw in her peripheral Coach Sylvester scoff in repugnance.

"It's not a mistake that the bullies in this school are all a part of the football squad, cheerleaders, and other sporting teams. They've been allowed by those in charge to behave in this repulsive manner because those so called 'adults' in charge of them were allowing this nonsense to carry on. I think there should be a major music curriculum installed so my daughter can feel safe at school when she's not at home and away from me and she can feel like there is an emphasis put on her talents, not just those of the athletes. And lastly, I would like for my daughter to keep that room that was located in the auditorium as a personal place of respite when she feels like she's overwhelmed."

"Mr. Berry all of these demands are reasonable and they will be implemented. Trust and believe me when I say there will be major changes here at McKinley, starting with the principal and working my way down" superintendent Harris replied harshly. "I want to thank you for not suing the school even though you were well within your right to do so and you still have that opportunity."

The superintendent reached down in his pocket and took out a business card, "if you need me for anything…anything at all please don't hesitate to call" he said as he wrote his personal number on the back of the card and slid it over the table towards her dad.

"Rachel I want to apologize once again for all of this. I'm ashamed that this happened to you. It shouldn't have happened at all but none the less I'm apologizing" Superintendent Harris said.

Rachel looked away quickly and then back before answering with a simple, "it's okay."

"No princess" shook Leroy's head, "no it's not okay. You accept his apology, and that's fine, but never say it's okay, because what happened to you and this family was anything but okay."

"Yes sir" replied Rachel quietly, "I accept your apology" Rachel said looking back at Superintendent Harris with big eyes.

The meeting was adjourned and she along with her dad and Hiram made their way out of the conference room. While walking out of the conference room and into the hall Rachel saw some familiar faces waiting to go meet with the superintendent and principal. Arthur Abrams, was waiting with his mom and dad. Tina Cohen-Chang was waiting with her parents…it was then she realized that Tina was adopted and her last name began to make a lot of sense. Mercedes Jones was sitting next to her father and Kurt Hummel was sitting next to his father. It seemed that the kids at the bottom of the heap at McKinley were finally going to get some retribution for the terrible treatment they all had received.

* * *

Walking out of the school and into the parking lot, Rachel felt her father grab her hand and hold it in his large one. She was slightly embarrassed by the gesture but allowed for it to happen.

While they walked to the truck Rachel noticed that a woman was waiting beside it with a slightly bothered face. Rachel realized it was Finn Hudson's mom and she remembered that Finn also got suspended as well.

"Thank you for waiting for me Carole" spoke her father causing Rachel to look up at her dad. Leroy released Rachel's hand and stuck it out for Carole Hudson to shake. "It took a little longer than anticipated in there" he said as they shook hands.

"It's all right Leroy…I'm just so disappointed and angry in my son I don't even know what the right approach is right now" Carole said.

"Trust me there are a lot of parents in Lima right now who feel the same…including me" said Leroy as he opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a duffle bag and book bag. "Thanks for watching over my son, and I'm sorry he's been crashing at your place this past week" he said as he handed over the luggage to Hiram who Rachel assumed was going to take it to Carole's car.

"Noah hasn't been a burden at all" Carole replied dismissing that thought with a wave of her hand, "he just needed some clothing that actually fit him" she said chuckling.

Leroy reached down into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Reaching in the wallet he pulled out a check and handed it towards Carole, who immediately began shaking her head and backing away, "I can't take that."

"Please" replied Leroy, "he eats like he has a tape worm and this should be enough for you to have food for the whole house and to help pay for electricity…please" said Leroy sticking out his hand a little farther. Carole reached up and hesitantly took the check before placing it in her purse. "Thank you" she said softly.

"Thank you" replied Leroy, "tell him that when he's ready to man up, that my door is always open."

Rachel looked up to see her father's eyes water as he looked at Carole.

"I will" Carole replied, "and I'm sorry again for all of this and Finn's part in it and Rachel I'm sorry that you had to even go through any of it."

"I accept your apology" Rachel replied before putting her hand in her dads.

Rachel watched as Carole turned and walked towards her car with Hiram right behind her.

"C'mon princess" instructed her father as he helped her get into the car so they could go home.

* * *

Santana lay back on her bed as tears fell out of the sides of her eyes and onto the soft pillow beneath her.

After the suspension at school, her papi waited until they were home before he lit verbal fire into Santana's ass. The good looking, middle aged man was so pissed off he didn't even use Spanish.

" _I can't believe you" said Dr. Lopez as he shook his head with incredulity. "Look at me when I'm talking to you Santana!" he yelled out._

 _Santana looked up but seeing how angry her papi was, her head immediately went back down in shame._

" _Look at me I said!" he screamed._

 _Juan Lopez waited until Santana's eyes were on him before continuing, "I've given you everything, haven't I?" he questioned. Santana shook her head slightly as she watched a vein making an appearance in her father's head, "you want for nothing Santana! I give you clothes, money, make-up, everything your heart desires and what do I ask in return?!"_

" _To get good grades and be my best self" Santana replied barely above a whisper._

" _Is bullying that girl being your best self?!" he screamed at her, "I can't believe you! What type of self-hating person would bully a girl who's in the same situation you're in! You could've been her friend Santana! You both could've been one another's shoulder to lean on because you could relate on what it feels like not to have your mother around! Instead you follow behind that Fabray girl and her racist ass families ideals! You should feel shame! Shame!" yelled out Juan as he turned around and shook his head. "Why would you do it?!" he screamed as he turned back towards Santana._

 _Santana begin to speak but it was so low, he couldn't hear, "Speak up! You had no problems talking on that tape!"_

" _I did it because I wanted to fit in, I didn't want them to make fun of me so I made fun of somebody else papi" whispered Santana as she looked away from her father again. She could feel his hard gaze upon her face._

" _You know I treated her when she came to the ER…her shoulder was dislocated and we had to pop it back in place. Her skin was already changing colors and even though it wasn't a bad dislocation, it's going to take at least three weeks to heal. I know you didn't shove her into the lockers but you might as well have by the way you treated her" said Juan with a softer voice._

 _Tears instantly fell down Santana's face even though she tried her best to not cry._

 _"I'm so disappointed in you, Santana. I'm actually embarrassed by your behavior…you should be too" said Juan causing Santana's face to break down completely._

" _You're grounded until you're not" said her father before he turned around and walked out the room._

Santana made her way to her room and flopped on the bed. She'd been crying since her father left out the living room and she knew her eyes were red and swollen. Since last week, images of Rachel flying into that locker played over and over in her mind. The pain that was in the smaller girl's eyes played over and over again on a loop.

She felt blameworthy.

She felt shame.

All the things her papi said she should feel she did plus more.

The biggest thing she felt was heartbroken. Her father was disappointed in her and she had embarrassed him and she had no clue how to get any of it back. The trust was gone in their relationship, of that she was sure.

Santana sat up on her bed as she could hear footsteps on the stairs and almost instantly a hard knock was against her bedroom door.

"Come in" she replied.

Her father walked through still looking very angry with a box, "I want your phone, lab top, and tablet in here now."

Santana wasted no time getting up and retrieving the objects demanded. She turned her phone completely off and noticed for the first time ever, that she didn't have a single text messaged. She powered everything down and placed it in the box. Just as she placed her phone in the box, her dad came out of her en-suite bathroom with all of her make-up and threw it in the box. He then went to her closet and began taking out her clothes and throwing it in the box. There were clothes that were still in shopping bags, clothes with tags on it and shoes still fresh in the box. He began piling it all in the box and on the side of the box. As he walked out of the closet for the last time, she watched her father walk over towards her desk and take her older iPod that was still on the dock. Everything was thrust harshly into the box.

"I'm sorry dad. I'm really, really sorry" whispered out Santana as Juan picked up her belongings and began making his way out of the room.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to" said her father as he walked out.

Santana sat on the edge of her bed as she placed her head in her hands and sighed out heavily. Her eyes began watering and she fought off crying but it was to no avail. She gave up trying to be tough and nonchalant like the persona she adapted at school. She used that stuff for survival but she ended up buying into the hype and actually becoming a person she couldn't stand. Her father was right, she should be ashamed of herself, and she was.

The real Santana was a big softie. A sensitive girl who was constantly dealing with issues of abandonment because her mom went to the store one day and never came back.

She watched as her father fight off depression from the lost of his wife and admired him for never taking out his feelings on her. He kept mum about Maribel Lopez in her presence with the hope of never bad mouthing her own mother to her. Juan was a respectable man and Santana loved him dearly. Santana's stomach bottomed out as she realized how much she disappointed her father. She never wanted to see that look on his face again…especially if it was directed towards her.

"I have to fix this" whispered Santana softly. She looked down at herself and noticed she still had her Cheerios uniform on. She bulked slightly before stripping out of the uniform and walking to her closet. All that was left wasn't really her style and she huffed in aggravation. Flannel shirts, t-shirts, and a few long sleeved shirts were left with a few pair of jeans; a pair of Chucks and one pair of boots with no heels on them. It was the clothing she only used to run a quick errand, the clothing she actually liked if she were honest with herself but it was the kind of clothing that reminded Santana of who she really was...the person that she was trying not to be; a walking stereotype.

She changed into a pair of the skinny jeans and a shirt and put on her sneakers. Walking into her bathroom, Santana was slightly shocked as she saw how bad her face looked. Mascara had stained under her eyes and her make-up was pretty much smeared all over her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked like a battered, depressed clown.

Running the hot water, she placed a fresh wash cloth under the tap and waited until the cloth was soaked all the way through. Once she was satisfied, Santana wrung it out and placed the cloth on her face letting the steam open up her pores, before she aggressively began scrubbing her face. Deciding that a simple wash would do for now, she hung her wash cloth up and quickly made her way out of her room and down the steps.

She could hear her father in the kitchen talking aggressively into the phone in Spanish, with whom she could only assume was her abuela. That's one more person she would add to her list of people she disappointed and the internal shame continued to grow within her.

Picking up her leather jacket that was on the coat rack, she quickly put it on and carefully opened the front door quietly. She made it outside and closed the door behind her expertly with barely any noise. Hell she'd had enough practice sneaking in and out before so this was a piece of cake.

Santana zipped up her jacket, noticing how crisp and cool the air was outside and she quickly made her way down the steps and onto the street in no time. She took a deep breath as she walked past the Fabray house on her way to the Berry's. As she walked by, Santana could tell that the lights in Quinn's room were off and she wondered how much trouble, if any, her close friend got into.

As Santana approached the Berry's home, it was the first time she noticed that they actually had the biggest home on the block. It looked like all the other homes in their enclosed neighborhood but as far as grandness was concerned, the Berry's had everyone else beat. Even with its large stature, it's still held a homely presence, something Santana was very much aware of now that she'd reached the front door and was standing on their porch. Santana looked around and noticed an old pair of sneakers lying off to the side, a discarded and worn newspaper sat in the rather comfortable looking rocking chair and it looked to be ashes in an ash tray sitting on the table next to the rocking chair. A pipe complemented the look and even though an abundance of nerves was present, she began to feel a little more settled.

Taking a deep breath she opened the screen door and rapped on the front door loudly, before taking a step back and waiting. She heard some rustling about before the door was opened and the tall, dark figure of Leroy Berry opened the door and looked down at her. He squared his eyes slightly as he slowly opened the screen door and Santana felt her stomach bottom out before taking another step back.

"Can I help you?" he asked a little harshly.

"Ye-yes" Santana stuttered out before clearing her throat to try and take away some of her nervousness. "Yes sir" she attempted again, "I was wondering if Rachel was available."

"Why?" came the direct response.

"I-I wanted to apologize" said Santana as she looked into a familiar pair of eyes, "I need to sir" Santana whispered.

Leroy Berry looked at her long and hard before she broke eye contact and looked away. She breathed out and was aware that her breath could be seen on the air.

"Rachel's asleep" Leroy said after a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you" Santana said turning around immediately to leave.

Before she reached the bottom of the steps she heard Leroy speak out, "you out here by yourself?" he asked.

Santana turned around to face him before responding, "yes sir…I live right down the street" she said pointing behind her.

"Hmmm" was the response she received.

Santana watched as Leroy quickly grabbed a Yankees Letterman jacket and pulled it on quickly, "c'mon I'll walk you back home."

"You really don't have to do that, I can make my way back on my own" replied Santana.

"Even still" he said gruffly as he shut the door behind him and met Santana on the steps.

Santana looked at the handsome man before turning back around and walking down the Berry's pathway. When they got on the street, Leroy was in step directly beside her with his hands buried deep in his pockets. Their neighborhood was always quiet but Santana thought it was exceptionally quiet this evening as the unlikely pair walked slowly towards their destination. Santana could feel his eyes on her so she decided to act as confident as possible, even though she was feeling anything but, "you have something to say" Santana said with faux assurance.

Leroy scoffed as he shook his head, "yeah, why her…why Rachel?" he asked harshly.

Santana stopped walking and looked down as she thought about it. Nothing she'd say to him would sound good so she decided to be honest, "she was an easy target and I was happy it wasn't me" she replied as her eyes began watering. Tension passed between them and she knew that he was angry, she could feel it coming off him in waves, "I'm so sorry" rushed out Santana as she tried to gain control of her emotions. "I know I was wrong for doing what I did. I didn't push Rachel but the way I treated her" Santana said shaking her head, "the things I said about her and you were not called for" said Santana as her voice began hitching terribly. "I'm so, so sorry Mr. Berry" said Santana as her face scrunched up and the dam finally broke.

Santana placed her arm across her face as she tried her best to hold back from becoming a blubbering mess in front of this man but it was no point. She was crying heavily and she felt the sudden urge to run away but she felt a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up and saw that the face of Leroy Berry had softened quite considerably. Looking away again, she felt the man squeeze her shoulder softly, "look at me" he said softly.

It took awhile but Santana looked up into his brown eyes as he looked down into hers, as if he were studying her.

"You really mean what you said…your apology" asked Leroy.

Santana nodded 'yes' earnestly as she hadn't gotten the ability to speak clearly yet through all of her tears.

"If you mean it then please stop by tomorrow and give you apology to Rachel" he said softly as Santana nodded again. "If you truly mean your apology, which I believe you do, then you gotta show it through your actions. It's not easy to apologize but your apology is meaningless if your behavior doesn't improve. I accept your apology, but you have to prove to me Santana that you meant it" Leroy said seriously.

"I will…I promise" Santana replied shakily. She felt the hand drop from her shoulder and as if on autopilot they both turned and continued their trek to her place.

It took the entire walk to her home for Santana to get any semblance of control over her emotions but it was all for naught because her papi was standing on their front porch looking thoroughly pissed. Anxiety crept back into her body but she thought better of it, she was already punished for…till…college, so, fuck it.

"Good evening" Dr. Lopez spoke Leroy.

"Mr. Berry" Juan nodded, "I hope my daughter wasn't bothering you" he said tightly.

"No she wasn't. She was doing something that none of the other kids have done…apologize" replied Mr. Berry.

Juan locked eyes with Santana and leaned his head towards the door. Santana took that as her cue, "goodnight Mr. Berry, I'll see you tomorrow morning to apologize to Rachel."

"Tomorrow then" he replied softly. With that Santana maneuvered her way up the steps and slinked past her father and into her home. Even though the future looked rather bleak she felt like a ton of weight was lifted off of her shoulders.

* * *

"Thank you for walking her home" said Juan as he walked down the walkway and shook Leroy's hand.

"No problem at all. It took a lot of guts for her to come and admit that she was wrong and apologize as well" he replied.

"Yeah it did, but I'm so pissed with her for even doing this. It's moments like this that I wish her mother was still around."

Leroy sighed heavily, "trust me…I totally understand. It's like you feel lost and you just want someone else to hash this out with."

Juan nodded in agreement, "Look if you need me to check out Rachel's shoulder anytime, you know where I stay. If she needs a re-up on her pain killers, I can do that as well."

"Thanks" replied Leroy tightly. Thinking about Rachel's injury still upset him a week later.

"I'm really sorry for my family's part in all this" said Juan.

Leroy held up his hand and stopped Juan from speaking, "Honestly I think I've had about all the apologizing I can take today. I know how you feel because my own son was a part of this. I'm the parent of the victim and the perpetrator. How fucked up is that?" asked Leroy rhetorically. "I believe your daughter when she asked for forgiveness. I believe she'll make amends…I could see it in her eyes, like I see it in yours."

"Thank you for understanding" Juan replied.

"Thank you for your humility…and for fixing my baby's shoulder" smirked Leroy.

Juan nodded before turning around and going inside as Leroy turned and walked back down the street.

* * *

Rachel was lying halfway on top of her grandmother. She was being spoiled rotten and she knew it.

She'd heard her dad lie and say she was asleep but she wasn't quite sure who was on the other side of the door. Whoever it was, it was enough for her dad to walk out without saying much.

Rachel was definitely drowsy from her pain medicine and she wanted to go to sleep but her mind wouldn't shut off. She was wondering about what was going on in the homes of all the kids that were involved at the meeting. She was wishing she had some type of super power so she could go and spy on everyone…especially her brother.

If Rachel did have the ability to spy simultaneously on her peers she would see that Quinn Fabray was lying on her bed with a pensive face and her lights out as her parents talked loudly in the other room about how they should feel about their daughter being suspended but also being proud of her for keeping up the Fabray morals with her bullying. It tore Quinn up inside and she felt overwhelmed.

She would've seen Noah lying on his back on the couch in the Hudson home, tears leaking out the corners of his eyes, as the guilt of being an awful brother and a failure for a son weighed on him. He was to stubborn to admit to anyone but himself how wrong he was.

She would see Finn Hudson lying on his side being angry about being suspended and grounded but contemplating how wrong he was for not behaving like the leader he claimed to be.

She would've looked in on the Karofsky home as parents and son were in the midst of a heated argument.

She would've seen Brittany Pierce sitting Indian style and talking to her cat.

She would've seen Azimio Adams, his mother, and their pastor holding hands as the man prayed for their family.

She would see Jacob Ben Israel packing a bag, while his mother cried in the living room as she looked at her husband on the phone talking to family in the state over.

And she would see Santana Lopez sitting at her desk and her completely bare room, writing out all her feelings and writing out all the things she wanted to be forgiven for, while simultaneously concocting ideas on how she could make good on her promise of being better and changing her behavior.

But for now all that she could see was the back of her eye lids as she finally fell asleep.

* * *

 **Hello out there. Thanks for the well thought out reviews. I know that last chapter was a bit much for some but it's a turning point in my story. I'm trying to reach out to everyone who reviews but sorry if I don't get to everyone. Santana is a major part of this story. I implore for those reading to have patience. The bulk of this story has been written out and I go back and edit things I don't like or change things. Please allow for the story to unfold.**

 **Leelan, chocolate orbs were def Santana's. :)**

 **Nely, Noah's lashing out is something that's been building up in him and eating at him for awhile. To all that's concerned Noah is redeemable but he's gotta work at it.**

 **I hope you guys like this one. Thoughts are very much welcomed.**


	6. Chapter 5

Santana stood on the Berry's front porch just as she had the night before.

Even though she was supposed to be here, she still felt nervousness course through her body as she reached up and repeated the process from the night before of knocking on the door and stepping back.

The door opened and Santana was greeted with a different face, a guy who looked just like Mr. Berry but older. "Good morning sir, I was coming to give an apology to Rachel. I'm sorry for it being so early but my papi wants to take me to work with him today" Santana said in almost one breath.

"We were expecting you…come in" he said holding the screen door wider so Santana could walk through.

As soon as she walked in, Santana was hit with the delicious smells of breakfast combined with what she could only describe as home. Even though the Berry house was modern, it still held the same homely quality inside that she observed outside the night before. Her hands were stuffed deep in her pockets of her jacket as she looked around at the formal living room while standing in the foyer.

Her eyes landed on the large sized portrait family photo that was over top the large fireplace. A smiling Puck and Rachel were standing next to one another and although they looked different, it was still a hint of familiarity within the family genetics, especially with their father in the picture with him. You could see the pride and love radiating of Mr. Berry and even Rachel and Puck were all smiles.

Santana was still slightly stunned that Rachel and Puck were related. The acting job Puck did at school was A list actor worthy. And she's sure she's not the only McKinley High student to feel that way. Tension begin to bubble in the pit of her stomach as she thought about all the times Puck threw slushes in Rachel's face, the mean things he would say and the mean stuff he laughed at when it was directed towards his sister. Santana was an only child and she always wanted another sibling. She would never treat her brother or sister in that way and if she had any, anyone that tried to treat her sibling(s) like that would feel her ever present rage.

"Good morning" said Leroy Berry as he broke her out her train of thought. She looked over at the face of the older man and noticed it was a little more relaxed in her presence than it was last night.

"Morning" replied Santana softly.

"You ready?" he questioned. Santana nodded in response.

"Well follow me" he said leaning his head towards the stairs before striding over to them. He climbed a few before stopping and turning to look at Santana. "You okay?" he asked when he noticed Santana hadn't moved.

"Yeah…I'm just nervous" replied Santana as she sighed heavily and put on a brave face.

"You'll be fine. Be honest like you were with me last night and everything will work out" said Leroy before he kept climbing up the stairs.

Santana felt her feet move and she begun following behind the tall figure of Leroy.

He stopped a little bit down the hall once they were on the second floor and he knocked lightly on a door with a large gold star on it. Santana looked to her right and noticed on the right side of this floor was a skull and bones emblem and she figured that must be Puck's room.

"Princess, are you decent?" called out Leroy.

"Yeah daddy, you can come in" replied Rachel.

Santana felt her stomach clinch tightly when she heard the voice of Rachel and she felt that need to run off again.

"I have a visitor here to see you" replied Leroy as he opened the door and walked in and motioned for Santana to follow him.

' _Guess I can't run now…here goes nothing'_ thought Santana as she followed the darker man into the room.

Santana walked into Rachel's bedroom and was met with pale yellow walls. Just seeing the color of the yellow made her spirits lift slightly as she scanned the room and took in the purple, white, and pink accents in the forms of her floor lamps, mirrors, pillows, and book cases; she looked at the four post bed and there on the mattress and surrounded by pillows was the small frame of Rachel Berry. Santana's mouth went dry as she looked at the shocked and confused face of Rachel that was glancing between her and Leroy.

"Santana is here to apologize" he said, "she came last night but you'd already taken your medicine and fell asleep, so she's here now."

Rachel looked back over at Santana with a skeptical look with those big brown eyes of hers. Santana stared back and noticed how expressive Rachel's eyes were, just like her dads and she found herself looking away.

"So I'll leave you two young ladies to it. If you need me I'm right down the hall" said Leroy before turning and leaving out of the room.

Santana watched Leroy leave out and shut the door partially behind him. She sighed heavily as she turned her head back towards Rachel, who was looking at her with apprehension.

"Look, if you're here to make fun of me or my family you can just wait until we get back to school" said Rachel hotly, "this is my home and I won't have you disrespecting it."

"Whoa, wait a minute feisty" replied Santana as she held her hands up in defensively, "I really just came to apologize."

Rachel's chest was puffed up with air, ready to give Santana another round of her mind when her entire body deflated and she looked at Santana in bewilderment. "You're serious" came Rachel's response.

"Yeah I am" said Santana as she looked at Rachel with a grim face. The heavy comforter fell from Rachel's shoulders during her mini rant and Santana was now looking at her discolored shoulder. Pangs went off in her stomach in multiple successions and she felt her eyes become watery. "I'm so sorry" she said with a strong voice even though she felt anything but. "A part of me knew things were out of hand at school but I didn't know it would go that far" Santana said as she sighed heavily. "Every time I close my eyes, I see you flying into that locker" she said as she shook her head and unconsciously closed her eyes. "It was the most horrible thing I've seen" Santana said as her voice shook slightly, "and if it was horrible for me to watch, I could only imagine what it felt like to experience it" she said opening her eyes again and looking at Rachel intently with watery eyes. Silence grew between the two young women as Santana allowed Rachel to stare at her. Normally Santana would have looked away by now but it was something very captivating about the way Rachel was assessing her.

"I appreciate your admission of guilt Santana and I accept your apology" replied Rachel after a few minutes of silence, "no one else has really said they were sorry except for the adults."

"Not even Puck" asked Santana incredulously.

"Especially not him" whispered Rachel.

Santana scoffed in disgust as she turned away from Rachel and squeezed her eyes shut to try and get her emotions under control, "I know you've accepted my apology but you really shouldn't have" said Santana as she opened her eyes and moved a little closer to Rachel's bed.

"That's not for you to decide Santana" Rachel said tightly as she lifted up the comforter over her shoulders, "whom I choose to forgive and whom not to forgive is entirely up to me and me alone. And if you're serious about feeling guilty and being repentant then I'm well within my right to accept it."

Santana saw a fire within in Rachel as she spoke and she internally wondered where it'd been all that time at school, but then Santana realized Rachel was in the comfort of her own home. That fire had probably always been there but was squelched everyday Rachel was in school.

"You're right…you're so right but make me earn it" replied Santana.

"Earn what?" questioned Rachel in slight irritation.

"Your forgiveness" stated Santana emotionally. "Not only me…but everyone" sighed Santana. She moved right to the edge of Rachel's bed and looked at her earnestly. "Please don't let anyone treat you that way ever again. You didn't deserve any of this and the guilt of that will probably stay with me the rest of my life, but you just stood up for yourself when I came in here. There's a fire in you. Use that to stand up for yourself and I promise that I will defend your honor when we're at school and when we're not. I made a promise to your dad, to myself, and now I'm making it to you. I will be a better person and I will treat you better but make me earn it. Don't just accept my apology and hopes that all of this will go away, make me earn it and treat you better and I promise I will do my best to never break my promise."

While speaking a few tears slipped out of Santana's eyes and she was mortified but she had to press upon Rachel how serious she was. It didn't go unnoticed that Rachel's eyes were watery as well as she issued out a soft 'okay' in reply.

It was much more emotional than Santana cared for it to be so she tried to lighten the mood, "soooo, you ever call your dad Black Berry…cause I think I would" she joked.

Rachel looked up in confusion but noticed there wasn't any malice in Santana's words and that ever present smirk was on her face but lacked the usual cockiness.

"He's my dad Santana, I call him daddy" chuckled Rachel.

"That's cool and all, even normal but I think he wouldn't mind being called Black Berry…especially cause he's black" smiled Santana softly.

Rachel rolled her eyes and gave soft smile as a loud horn rang out disturbing their compatible moment.

"That's my cue" said Santana as she pointed behind her, "my dad is making me work with him while I'm grounded."

"How long are you grounded for?" asked Rachel.

"For life" smarted Santana, "or until my dad stops being disappointed in me" she said sadly.

Rachel nodded as she stood up out of her bed. "I really do accept your apology Santana and I forgive you already. It'll be interesting to see how you go about earning the forgiveness I've already given you" replied Rachel cheekily, "I don't think forgiveness is the right term though" Rachel said continuing before Santana could speak, "I think what you have to earn from me is trust. That'll take time but I think it's possible."

The horn sound out again and Santana begin moving towards the door, "I think that's possible too Rachel" said Santana when she reached the door, "I'll see you around" she said as she waved slightly before exiting the room.

* * *

Rachel could feel her cheeks burning as she watched Santana leave, and she wasn't quite sure why as she touched her warm face with her hand. Was it because Santana was the first of everyone to apologize? Or was it because this was the first time that Rachel could remember Santana actually using her God given name. One thing she was certain about was that the next few months in her life would be interesting indeed.

* * *

Santana wasn't surprised to see Mr. Berry leaning against the wall in the hallway with his arms across his chest. She half expected it and knew she would have to work on building trust with him as well as Rachel.

"Thanks Mr. Berry, my papi's outside waiting for me" said Santana as she moved closer towards him.

"Black Berry?" he replied with a perked brow and amused expression.

Santana mouth was open in shock and she was trying to come up with a response but he waved her off.

"I like it…you're to call me that from now on…understood" he said seriously but with a twinkle in his eyes.

Santana chuckled and nodded as they made their way down the stairs.

Leroy a.k.a Black Berry ushered her out of the front door, but pulled her arm slightly before she could go down the steps. A wrapped breakfast sandwich and a to-go cup of coffee were placed in her hand, "you're good person Santana. I look forward to getting to know you better in the future" said Leroy as he patted her back softly so she could get going.

Santana was touched and all she could give was a soft 'thank you' in response before walking towards her papi's car.

"Everything go alright?" asked Juan once she was settled in the front seat.

"Yeah, it went a lot better than I expected" she replied as she waved back at Black Berry and Rachel whom had joined him on the front porch. Santana took a sip of the hot liquid and had to suppress a moan in response. If she was gonna receive coffee this good, she would have to find a way to get inside the Berry's domain on a daily basis…damn the Lima Bean.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, Santana was a regular guest at the Berry residence.

She was there every morning bright and early and she and Rachel had breakfast together. Just the two of them. It usually was a simple meal like yogurt or fruit salad, but the best part about it was that Rachel and Santana were learning one another. They talked the entire time about trivial things and had heart to hearts about important things.

One morning in particular they were discussing how awful it felt to have their own mother's walk out on them. It got so heavy that they were both in tears by the end of the talk and Santana had to say a bunch of corny jokes to break up the seriousness of it all.

Even though Santana was very much still grounded, she was thankful her father allowed her to spend this time with Rachel in the morning.

They were bonding and getting closer and both girls were grateful.

* * *

It was a couple of weeks later and Rachel was once again in the conference room in-between her dad and Hiram, but things were much different. For one there wasn't a high level of tension in the room but Rachel did have the distinct feeling that she was stuck in the twilight zone by what was just laid out by Superintendent Harris.

Principal Figgins had been terminated almost immediately after the last meeting. McKinley High had a new principal…Principal Greene. He was a no-nonsense man and he came in and made immediate changes. Starting first with firing Coach Tanaka and putting a woman in his place…a Coach Bieste and from what Rachel has heard, was a very large woman who took crap off of no one. Coach Sylvester was suspended immediately for the rest of the semester and in her place the swim coach was put in her place…Coach Roz Washington. Superintendent Harris informed them that not only was Coach Sylvester suspended but when she did return she would be demoted to being an assistant coach for the Cheerios.

The slushy machine was taken out and destroyed for which Rachel appreciated the theatricality of it all.

And to top it all off, her schedule was now a new one. She still had Mr. Mosher which she was thankful for because he was her favorite teacher, but Superintendent Harris also informed Rachel that she now had geometry, English II, economics (which the curriculum would be changed to life skills of sort), ballet, music theory 1, and show choir.

"We looked at the schedules and we noticed that we could implement these changes pretty much efficiently without it being major upheaval to the rest of the school curriculum. Ballet and music theory teachers were able to be hired as part time and by this time next year we'll be able to hire them full time and we'll be able to add more classes towards the fine arts program. A poll was given and quite a few of the students here wanted to take more fine arts courses, so this is a great direction for the school. We can have athletics as well as arts" said Principal Greene with excitement. "Trust me Mr. Berry, this is only the beginning."

"This is amazing changes but what about the bullying training for the teachers and staff?" questioned Leroy.

"Already implemented" replied Superintendent Harris, "Teachers were given a two day course during their last professional development days and they have a mandatory one hour class after school weekly for the rest of the semester. It's well within union rules and we have Mr. Mosher heading it up. He wrote a lengthy letter to me the week before everything went down about the culture and in particular the bullying that Rachel was receiving. I had set up a meeting with administration and Mr. Mosher to discuss and implement a plan before the horrible events happened. I think Mr. Mosher is a perfect candidate to make sure that each teacher is adhering to the training and the new rules here at McKinley."

"That sounds good" said Leroy as he nodded in approval. "What about Rachel's place of respite. I'm not naive to believe that everything is going to be suddenly good. The bully's may have been suspended along with the teachers and administration that facilitated that atmosphere but you can't change culture and society overnight. You can't control what people think and to some extension say…Rachel needs a place to regroup if she's feeling overwhelmed."

"The room is hers Mr. Berry…that's not going to be taken away from her but we must ask that she be very careful with the electronics in there. When we went to inspect, there was a curling iron that had been left on. Unfortunately we had to throw that out but Rachel has to be very careful to make sure everything is unplugged and turned off when she leaves" said Mr. Greene.

"I can do that…I'm sorry about the curling iron" replied Rachel.

"No worries. If that's everything, I hope you're satisfied and welcome back to school Rachel" said Mr. Greene as he stood up and held out his hand for her to shake. She grabbed it and marveled at how his skin tone was similar to her dad's and how he seemed to have the same demeanor as her father. She was still nervous but she felt herself beginning to settle slightly.

"Well I think we should get Rachel to class before the morning bell" said Leroy as he shook the hands of Principal Greene and Superintendent Harris, "thank you gentlemen once again for fighting on my daughter's behalf."

"No problem sir, it's our job but more importantly it's the humane thing to do" replied Superintendent Harris.

Leroy, Rachel, and Hiram walked out the schools office and into the hallway.

"Alright so it looks like you have that you have math first, so how about I walk you there" said Leroy.

Rachel looked mortified as she began to shake her head 'no' vigorously. "Daddy please don't do that" said Rachel seriously.

"I still don't trust this place" replied Leroy, "I don't care how many changes they've made. You know what, I should've stuck to my guts and put you in private school. We're leaving" said Leroy in an almost panic state as he reached for Rachel's hand and began to pull her.

"Dad stop!" Rachel said as she raised her voice, "I'll be fine" she said once her father looked down at her, "we've talked about this. I'm staying at McKinley and I promised you that I would tell you if something was wrong, I'm not going to renege on that" said Rachel.

"You didn't do it before princess" countered her father, "what's changed now?"

"There's more at stake now" replied Rachel simply as she set her eyes on her father.

"What's more at stake than your own physical and mental health?" asked Leroy incredulously.

"Our family dad" Rachel said simply, "we can't fix our family if we're all apart. We're apart now and look how much it sucks" said Rachel as she stomped her loafer covered feet on the ground.

"It's not your job to fix it, it's mine" replied Leroy tightly.

"But I can help daddy" said Rachel as she reached for her father's bigger hand and placed her smaller one in it. A pout appeared on her face as she looked up and Leroy could feel himself break and Rachel knew it, "besides daddy, Santana said she would look out for me and I believe her…and so do you."

"Fine" he said through gritted teeth, "but I'm gonna be like a watch dog from now on" he said seriously as he pointed a finger at her before pulling her into him and giving her a kiss on her temple.

Rachel wrapped her arms around her dad and gave him a strong hug around his waist, "I love you daddy" she said softly.

"I love you too princess" Leroy said emotionally before pulling back and placing another soft kiss on her temple.

"Leroy, I think we should get going before the bell rings out" said Hiram.

Leroy clinched his jaw and nodded his head as he looked around over Hiram and Rachel. There were already a number of students in the hall and they were all looking at his little group apprehensively. Rachel noticed the looks as well and she noticed that they were directed at her father and apprehension began to build in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey Black Berry" she heard Santana say.

And just like that, the apprehension went away.

"Hey kid, how you feeling?" asked Leroy as he held out his fist for Santana to bump...which she did.

"Okay, kinda don't want to be back here but you know" shrugged Santana.

"Yeah I know what you mean" replied Rachel as she looked Santana up and down. It was the first time in a few weeks that she'd seen Santana in a Cheerios uniform and it brought about some bad feelings. Santana must have noticed because she spoke to her father, "look Black Berry, I'm gonna watch out for Rachel…I made a promise and I intend to keep it. She'll be safe with me."

Leroy sighed as he eyed them both, "call me if you need me Rach" he said seriously, "you too" he pointed at Santana. Santana saluted with two fingers causing her dad to laugh before turning around and walking out of the school, with Hiram right by his side.

"So, what's your schedule looking like Short Stack" asked Santana once Leroy was out of the school, "did they change yours like they did mine?"

"Yeah they did" replied Rachel quietly as she turned and began walking down the hall. Her head instinctively went down and she clutched her small one subject notebook towards her chest. Her shoulder had healed very well and she was going to be doing physical therapy at least once a week but old habits die hard and Santana noticed.

"What did we talk about Rachel?" asked Santana as she stopped causing Rachel to do the same.

"I don't know what you're referring to" came the delicate response.

"Cut the bullshit, you know what I'm talking about" countered Santana immediately.

"This isn't easy for me" hissed out Rachel as she finally looked up. She noticed that they were receiving weird looks. On the outside looking in Rachel guess that it was weird. Her one time nemesis was standing in the middle of the hallway, not only talking to her but to her dad, whom assaulted another student almost a month prior. The irony wasn't lost on Rachel and she was beginning to feel completely overwhelmed. "Do you understand how odd this is Santana? A month ago you were saying the vilest things to me and now, now you're like walking me to class and being nice" whispered yelled Rachel, "I'm freaking out okay!"

Santana's eyes softened as she looked at Rachel. She shouldn't expect for the smaller girl to completely trust her so quickly after everything…even if they had been getting closer in small doses over the last couple of weeks. It was then that Santana realized something and it caused her to break out into a massive smile.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Rachel said smartly, right before rolling her eyes.

"You stood up to me Small Fry…at school and it makes me proud" shrugged Santana.

Rachel looked away as a small blush crept up her neck and to her cheeks, "thanks for being proud but I'm really not sticking up for myself right now Santana" Rachel said, "I'm really freaked out."

"I told you that nothing's going to happen to you. I'm looking out for you; nobody would dare come near you if they know what's best for them. Stick with me Tiny and you will be okay" said Santana sincerely as she placed her hand on Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel looked at the hand that was gently placed on her still healing shoulder, and looked up into the dark brown eyes of Santana. Her brows were etched with worry and she took a couple of breaths to calm down. "Rachel I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it" Santana said seriously as she looked at Rachel's face.

"I believe you, but if this turns out to be a trick or rouse, I might die" replied Rachel.

"What?!" asked Santana in shock.

"If it turns out you're just playing me, I wouldn't die literally but I would be heartbroken...the type of heartbreak that it would take a life time to get over. I don't have a lot of friends Santana" Rachel said as she lowered her voice, "I'd like to think that we've begun to bond and I'm beginning to think of you as a friend. It would hurt for that to not be true" said Rachel just as the bell rang out, signaling the start of the day.

The hallway began to get crowded and Rachel heard the whispers all around already. "You don't have to worry about anything Rachel. My hearts already broken enough for the both of us because of the way I treated you and the way everything went down. Whenever you have doubt about me and my intentions…which I totally understand by the way…remember to make me earn it."

Rachel and Santana looked at one another and nodded before turning and walking down the hall side by side. People gazed at them with befuddled looks and Santana would glare at them when she had enough. Whispers were being said and Rachel was smart enough to know that they were about her. What she didn't realize was that the whispers, thoughts and slight pointing from students with less tact was about _them_. They reached her math class and it was the first time ever that Rachel didn't feel vulnerable or like she needed to hurry because Santana still walked with her head held high as if she owned the place and by extension, Rachel was a part of that.

They finally reached her math class and Rachel issued a soft 'thank you' towards Santana for walking her to class.

"No worries Tiny, I'll be here waiting for you when the bell rings for second period. Right here" said Santana as she pointed to the spot they were standing here.

"I'll be here" replied Rachel as she walked into class for the first time in a few weeks.

* * *

Rachel didn't have enough time to feel uncomfortable for the rest of the day because she was trying to get caught up on all the school work she missed in her classes. Her math and English teacher had made Rachel a packet of all the work she'd missed. In music theory she had to catch up but not by much because she had a little background knowledge, even though it was a new class for her. Mr. Mosher's class was fun mixed with a hint of awkwardness at one point. Since Jacob Ben-Israel and David Karofsky were expelled and suspended, that eliminated one of their teams in the class. Quinn Fabray's father had come and taken her out of Mr. Mosher's class and put her in home economics, leaving Tina Cohen-Chang without a partner. That was until Azimio Adams walked through the door. He now was going to be in the class but before he was 'official', Azimio walked to the middle of the room and pulled out a sheet of paper. He then proceeded to apologize for his awful behavior. Rachel was stunned. She was definitely in the twilight zone now, but Santana was leery.

" _Why should she trust you?" asked Santana in a snide way with squared eyes._

" _I don't need her to trust me, hell I don't need her to forgive me" said Azimio honestly, "I need to say sorry for me. My mom made me watch that tape more than once and it was terrible. I'm not gonna like you anytime soon Rachel Berry but I won't treat you the way I used to."_

 _Rachel didn't know how to respond so she didn't._

After that, Mr. Mosher literally made them set up the chairs in the middle isle, move the desks out the way and play musical chairs. Rachel had to admit that once the game was over, after Mike Chang was crowned the winner, that she was having fun. Having fun with people she'd never thought she'd ever would. What stuck out to her is what Mr. Mosher said once the room was put together and they were seated.

" _I want you all to remember how much fun you had just now. It wasn't about who's a jock, who's beautiful, who has the best house or who doesn't. It was about all of you enjoying one another and getting to know the person outside of those things. You're more than the materials, you're more than your looks, you're more than who your parents are, and you're more than you're grades. You're more than all of those things because you're human and every human being deserves love, respect, and kindness."_

After his spiel the bell rang out and they were dismissed.

* * *

Rachel was sitting outside on the bleachers. It was a nice fall day and a little warmer than normal, so she decided to sit there and watch the Cheerios practice while waiting for her dad.

It wasn't a bad day at McKinley. In fact it was the best day she'd ever had.

It was just a little overwhelming.

She and Santana were practically attached at the hip. Some people actually went out there way to wave or speak to her and she had received an honest apology from Azimio. It didn't make sense to her. Just mere weeks ago she was a social pariah and now, she wasn't popular but she felt like a normal kid, which was something Rachel always wanted. She couldn't quite place when the shift happen. Maybe it was her dad punching David out in front of a good portion of the school population. Or maybe it was who her dad was. Her father was quite the athlete when they were in New York and he was very popular. Maybe it was because Santana was now with her or it could've been that the school body realized her own brother had treated her so horribly. Whatever it was, it had Rachel off kilter and she just wanted to feel a little more grounded.

The irony wasn't lost on her that she had that very thought just as Santana was being thrown into the air as if she were weightless.

Rachel continued to watch the practice as she pondered on the changes that have happened in her life recently. A sudden shadow appeared over her sitting body and she knew who it was before looking over. She could just feel his presence…after all he was her brother.

Noah sat down next to her but gave her some space as well. He leaned his body back onto the risers behind him and lifted his arms on the riser to give himself some balance. Rachel chose to keep looking at the cheerleaders practice and sit like the lady she was. A few minutes passed and Rachel was starting to get annoyed, "is there something you want from me Noah?" she questioned.

He sat up and sighed heavily, "it's a lot of things I want to say to you but I don't know how" came his response.

Rachel rolled her eyes as the wind picked up slightly and blew her hair, "you could start by apologizing for being the jerk you are" replied Rachel.

"It still wouldn't be enough" said Noah.

Rachel felt the anger she'd been pushing away for weeks began to boil up inside of her and her eyes began to water as hot tears fell off her face, "I may look like her Noah but I'm not her. We're two different people" said Rachel angrily.

Noah had the decency to look away in shame.

"And what you said to dad" Rachel said emotionally as her voice hitched, "you nearly broke him Noah" she said as more tears fell off her face. She looked over at Noah's downcast head and could see his own tears falling off his cheeks but Rachel scoffed. "If you really feel bad then you should go and fix it" she said.

"I dunno how" came the feeble response.

Brother and sister shed tears together for the first time in years. It was a quiet type of crying, not really noticeable from anyone else. It was a type of crying that Noah and Rachel had adapted together to help survive the over protectiveness of their dad. On days when they were feeling exceptionally sad they would sit close together and cry silently. It happened all the time when they were in New York and a little once they moved to Lima. It was therapeutic in a way.

"You should go talk to daddy" Rachel said as her voice hitched and she wiped some tears away.

"I can't" said Noah looking at her brokenly.

"Why not?" countered Rachel with a hint of exasperation, "why can't you humble yourself?"

"Because he hates me, I know he does and I hurt him so badly I'm ashamed Ellie" replied Noah.

Rachel hadn't heard that particular nickname from Noah in a long time and it kind of caught her off guard.

"You came and talked to me" said Rachel.

"Cause I always knew that you would forgive me, you're a good person like that" replied Noah honestly.

Rachel looked off onto the field and noticed that practice was over. In a way Noah was right, she was itching to let all this go and fix her family but the words of Santana came to the forefront of her mind.

"I'm not accepting your weak excuse for an apology Noah…which you never actually did" she said finally looking over at her brother whom held a shocked expression, "I'm not forgiving you because of how badly you wounded me. It's rather presumptuous of you to think that I would. You treated me like shit for years and your disregard for my well being only increased as time went on. You're embarrassed to have me as a sister; well I've been embarrassed to have you as brother. You're an underachieving man whore and everyone at this school knows it. I deserve to have a sibling that's not ashamed of me and who would protect me no matter what and that hasn't been you for a long time. Instead all you did was laugh with the others and point your finger at me. And now you want me to pardon your atrocious behavior…well screw you and screw that!" Rachel said angrily as she stood up and looked down at her brother. "And just so you know, she left the both of us! Not just you! And the one person who was there to pick up the pieces, you totally disregarded as a fag" hissed out Rachel. "You broke this Noah, so you fix it and I hope you fix it with something better than 'I don't know how' or 'I can't'" Rachel said angrily as her nostrils flared out. "Don't come back to me until you can truly humble yourself!"

Rachel stalked away from her brother and walked down onto the track surrounding the field. She angrily began walking towards the parking lot where she knew her dad would be waiting. A gentle tug on her arm caused her to stop and look around.

"You okay?" Santana questioned with concern etched all over her face.

"I'll be fine" Rachel replied as she looked away from Santana and down to her loafer covered feet, "my dad is waiting."

"You think I could catch a ride with you guys" asked Santana.

Rachel looked up in surprise, "you want to ride with us?"

"Well yeah, Little Foots. I've been hanging out with you all day and I don't want the party to end" said Santana and her casual way. Rachel was beginning to learn that Santana's perceived aloofness meant she cared quite a bit.

"Okay, but if you get a ride with us, you have to stop calling me all these short nicknames" said Rachel with a smirk.

Santana looked totally aghast, "what's the fun in that?!" she said incredulously. "You can't take everything away from me Tink…you just can't" she said shrugging her shoulders.

Rachel couldn't help but to laugh as she shook her head and turned back around to walk towards the parking lot, with Santana in tow. "You know the foundation of any good relationship is a quality nickname" Santana said as she moved her duffle bag around on her shoulder, a duffle bag that Rachel just noticed was there.

"If it's a good foundation, then what am I'm supposed to call you?" asked Rachel smartly.

"Hot" came Santana's immediate response, which caused Rachel to roll her eyes.

"I'm not calling you that."

"Okay well what about smokin'. Or tamale, goddess, temptress, or just plain sexy" said Santana, humor heard throughout her voice.

Rachel stopped in her tracks and looked up slightly at Santana. It was true that Santana was all of those things anyone with eyes could see that, "how about I just call you friend" smiled Rachel.

She watched as Santana's eyes began to shine a little bit as she nodded her head, "I like it" came the soft response from the beautiful teenager.

"Good" said Rachel as she began walking again, "I sort of like Tink but I like Rachel even better" she said smartly.

Santana laughed.

Rachel wasn't sure how it happened but they had become friends. Santana had kept her word and was earning Rachel's trust as time passed. Rachel only hoped that their ever growing bond would be for the long haul.

* * *

Leroy was sitting in his office looking down at his cell phone. A cigar was in his hand that he was puffing on occasionally. He wasn't normally a smoker but his father was staying with them until further notice and with that the older man brought his habit of smoking pipes, which made Leroy nostalgic for his cigars…that and stress.

Things seemed to settle down around Rachel and he was genuinely satisfied with what the school put in place for his daughter. He knew the administration, school, and school board worked so hard because they didn't want to get sued, but Rachel seemed to be satisfied and she even gained a friend out of it.

What wasn't fixed was his family and Leroy was completely clueless on how to do it.

What his son said to him played around in his mind often and he came to a conclusion some time ago on how to move things along towards the healing process. It was the right decision and he mulled it over with his parents, sister, and Hiram. Lisa was the only one that showed any apprehension but eventually she conceded that it was the right thing to do.

Leroy's hand hovered over Shelby's name and phone number. He didn't want to call her, he didn't want her a part of their lives again. But throwing Noah out and in the manner in which it happened, had Leroy's heart breaking a little more each day.

Leroy sighed heavily before sucking it up and hitting the call button. He put the phone on speaker and listened as it rang out a few times before the familiar voice of Shelby answered.

"Shelby it's Leroy" he said in his business voice.

"Lee" she gasped, "I didn't-I hadn't expected you to call" she whispered out.

"Sorry about calling from the blocked number but I'm doing that for my protection" he said.

"Is everything all right? Are the kids okay?" she questioned softly.

"No its not" he sighed out.

Leroy decided to just put it all out there. He told Shelby about Rachel's bullying and how their youngest child kept it a secret for so long. He explained to Shelby about Noah, what Noah said to him and his own reaction their son.

"So where is Noah now" asked Shelby as she cleared her voice once Leroy was done.

"He's with a friend and the friend's mom. I make sure that she has enough to cover for food and bill expenses for them all" replied Leroy.

Shelby sighed heavily and Leroy knew that she was crying. Before they were husband and wife, they were once best friends and he still knew her.

"So what's the plan?" sniffled Shelby.

"Are you serious about being in their lives?" he questioned tightly.

"Yes I am" came the immediate reply.

"Then you have to come to Lima. I'm getting therapy for Rachel and her therapist suggested that we see a family counselor. From what Noah said that night he's pissed at you and me; not only him but Rachel, even though she would have a little more tact in saying it. I think the four of us need to sit down and hash it out…like really hash it out and fix this family" said Leroy, "I have to make sure that you're serious though Shelby. I can't have you come back and then walk out again."

"I won't Lee, I'm never walking out again" she said as Leroy heard some typing in the background.

"What are you doing?" he asked irritably.

"I'm booking a flight" said Shelby softly, "I should be in Lima by tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 6

Santana was standing in front of her locker switching out her books when she felt a presence on her side.

"So you and Berry are besties now" came the snide voice of one Quinn Fabray.

Santana rolled her eyes before closing her locker, "If you want to say that then I don't have a problem with it" she shrugged in response.

Quinn scrunched up her face, "who are you right now?"

"A smoking hot babe that all the boys want, a person who's average is an A -, and someone who's finally starting to like the person she's becoming…did I mention I was hot" said Santana with a cocky smirk that she knew would get under Quinn's skin.

Quinn scoffed, "you're pathetic" she replied.

"Nope I think that's you actually. You're still holding on to how things used to be around here. You're bitter because you don't have any real power and you can't walk around with that sense of entitlement that you crave and that the uniform provides. No Quinn, you're definitely the one that's pathetic" replied Santana getting serious.

"Look I'm sorry okay. I just don't understand how you can befriend Berry? It's weird" said Quinn.

Santana rolled her eyes and walked away from Quinn. Quinn wasn't having it though and yanked Santana back around by her shoulder. Santana eyed her dangerously and was about to slap the crap out of Quinn but the newly placed hall monitor walked passed them, "everything okay ladies?" he questioned.

"Yeah we're good" replied Quinn as she plastered on a fake smile, "we're just having a discussion."

"Well how about you have a discussion that way" he said pointing down the hall, "let's get to class."

Santana sighed and began walking once again and she could feel Quinn keeping stride alongside her.

"What is it that you want?" asked Santana angrily with her nostrils flared.

"My friend back" said Quinn angrily, "you just disappeared after everything went down and when you finally do reappear, you're cuddled up to man hands."

"Unlike you Fabray, I'm very much still grounded for everything that happened. I get my computer back to do homework for an hour and half a day. My dad was beyond pissed at me and in a lot of ways he still is. I didn't get a pat on the back like you" replied Santana as she stopped and eyed the green eyes in front of her. "I've had a lot of time to reflect and what I saw was enough to make me want to dry heave at least three times a day. I never want to be like that towards anyone ever again." Santana moved closer to Quinn, invading her personal space, "And honestly Lucy, you 'd think you'd have a little more sympathy coming from where you came from" said Santana softly so only Quinn could hear, "call Rachel another derogatory name and I swear you'll live to regret it" Santana said threateningly before moving back from Quinn.

She eyed her some more before turning around and walking away, "I gots to go, have a nice day Quinnie."

Quinn watched Santana walk away and meet up with Rachel down the hall. She was jealous but she knew that Santana wasn't making an idle threat. Santana could be a ruthless bitch when she wanted to and normally that behavior was turned on the masses of the McKinley body. Since coming back from suspension that ruthless bitch had been tamed and she knew Rachel Berry was the cause of it.

It pissed Quinn off and made her jealous all at the same time. She missed her friend and it looked like she'd lost her to the biggest loser in the school.

* * *

The bell rang out for lunch and Rachel wasn't surprised in the least when she walked out of her class and Santana was leaning on the lockers of the opposite side waiting on her. What did catch her by surprise was the fact that Brittany Pierce was talking to her. They seemed to be in a jovial mood and Rachel felt herself becoming instantly shy as she approached the duo.

"Hi" said Santana once she saw Rachel.

Rachel smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes and Santana noticed.

"Brit, I want you to meet Rachel Berry…Rachel, Brittany" Santana said giving the introductions.

"Hey Rachel" deadpanned Brittany, "I'll see you later Santana" said Brittany as she quickly turned away and walked down the hall.

Rachel watched as Santana looked after the blonde with a pained expression.

"You know you can have lunch with her instead of sticking with me" Rachel said softly as she moved closer to Santana. Santana turned around and looked slightly down at Rachel, "I thought we were having lunch together today…you had something to show me right?"

"Yeah I did but it's obvious you want to go after her" replied Rachel as she looked up into Santana's eyes.

"If I wanted to go after her I would've" said Santana tightly, "we made plans and I'm keeping them. Don't back out on me now Berry."

They stared into one another's eyes for a moment as Rachel assessed Santana before relenting, turning around and walking down the hall. Santana eyed Rachel before following behind her. She kept a small distance as she watched the diva walk swiftly through the halls and navigating them with expertise. Santana's eyes squared slightly as she watched a bunch of the hockey jocks walk past Rachel but they were smart enough to know not to touch her, even though a couple looked in her direction.

"Rachel where are we going?" called out Santana after they'd been walking for a few minutes and the crowd started to thin out.

"We're almost there" called back Rachel as she made a right. Once reaching the same spot where Rachel turned, Santana noticed they were near the side of the auditorium. She was stunned when Rachel pulled out a key and unlocked the door and opened it wide enough for Santana to enter. They were immediately enveloped in darkness once Rachel closed the door behind them and Santana began to get a little nervous.

"Stay here while I go turn the lights on" she heard Rachel say from behind her. Santana waited as she listened to Rachel shuffle around in the dark. Suddenly the house lights in auditorium began to brighten slowly.

"C'mon" said Rachel, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Santana looked at her and began following once again. This was an odd place to be for Santana. As their friendship blossomed, she learned that Rachel was a lover of the performing arts and that she took several classes outside of McKinley to perfect her chosen path. She hadn't heard Rachel sing yet but the small teenager had bragged to her several times that she was quite a good one. Santana ribbed her often because every time she asked Rachel to sing, Rachel always claimed that the venue wasn't correct before turning away and blushing.

They made a couple of turns and Rachel stood in front of a door. It was clear she was contemplating something before taking a deep breath and opening it, "come in" she instructed softly. Santana walked through the door and was met with a dressing room, but instead of it being a dressing room it looked more like a lounge of sorts. She walked towards the middle of the room and began moving around in a circle slowly; observing everything this small place had to offer. Make-up, clothing, beauty products, books, pens, pencils, self-affirmations plastered on the mirrors, a small lamp, and rug; "where the hell did you get a beanie bag chair from?" questioned Santana as she looked at Rachel lock the door behind her.

Rachel chuckled slightly, "my dad…I've been allowed to decorate a little."

"What is this place?"

"My sanctuary…my home away from home" replied Rachel. "When things would get exceptionally bad here at school, I would come to this room and recharge my battery I guess you could say. I could shower after the slushes and I could cry in peace without the fear of someone noticing me and using another thing against me to make my life hell."

Pain etched across Santana's face knowing that she'd help cause Rachel to run to this place on many occasions.

"I didn't bring you here to make you feel bad" whispered Rachel, "I showed it to you because this place means a lot to me. It was my respite of sorts. I brought you here so that I could share this place with you Santana. I wanted to share this with my friend."

The pain on Santana's face softened immediately as she looked around the room some more, analyzing every little thing. This room screamed Rachel and it hurt to hear that she needed this to get away from the bullying but she was also honored that the small diva would share something like this with her.

"Thanks Rach" whispered Santana as she turned to look at the smaller girl.

"De nada" came the response causing Santana to smile. "If you need this place to regroup or to just get away during the day, I would like you to use it as well" said Rachel as she stuck her hand out and offered Santana a key to the room. Santana reached up tentatively and grabbed the key from Rachel, grazing her soft hand in the process.

"I'm gonna hug you now…it'll be quick" said Rachel as she approached Santana and gave her a hug. Santana chuckled and reciprocated and thankfully their slightly heavy moment had now passed.

"I have to admit I do have an ulterior motive for inviting you here" said Rachel as she turned towards the vanity mirrors and sat down in a chair next to the table connected to them. "I wanted to have a sleepover, and my daddy said I could but then I realized you would be the only person I would invite. I need the courage to invite some other people and give them these invitations" said Rachel as she reached down into her binder and pulled out a simple invitation to her sleepover. Santana walked over and leaned over Rachel to look at the details of the party.

"I'm down, but you know I'm still very much grounded" said Santana.

"I'm sure I can convince your dad" Rachel said cheekily.

"You seem pretty certain about that" replied Santana as she walked from behind Rachel and sat in the chair directly in front of her.

"I am…well that and the fact that he already said yes" chuckled Rachel as she pulled out three more invitations.

Santana side eyed Rachel as she looked at her curiously, "how did you manage to ask my papi, when we've practically been attached at the hip for these past weeks?"

"I got my dad to call your dad" shrugged Rachel, "my dad feels like you've paid your penance in full. Your father, not so much but he was willing to concede to let up just a little for you to come to the sleepover."

Santana nodded, Juan Lopez was really digging his heels in with this bullying thing. In some ways she was glad he was because it made her accountable every day, to herself as well as Rachel. But in other ways she just wanted her damn phone and freedom back.

"So I guess it's us this Friday" replied Santana. "Who else were you thinking of inviting?"

"Just three other people…Mercedes, Kurt, and Tina" Rachel said softly.

Santana took a deep breath. Life sure could change in an instant. A month ago she would've scoffed at the idea of being at a sleepover with those four other people. If she were honest, it wouldn't have entered her mind at all back then. Cheerios, popularity, keeping her secrets and Brittany were the only things that stayed on her mind on a consistent basis. Everything else was just a reflection of those things. Now…now the tides have turned in unforeseen ways. Santana knew things changed for the better but sometimes she couldn't always see it…and this was one of those times.

"You realize those three are the biggest gossips in this school?" said Santana looking at Rachel seriously.

"I know" Rachel confirmed with a small nod, "but they also understand what it's like to be me. Maybe not as bad but we were kind of in the same boat as far as the social hierarchy. I'm not good at making friends and I'm not well liked. I'm not an idiot Santana. I'm ambitious and I would have no problems knocking down anyone who would get in the way of my dreams. Because of that, I'm probably the loneliest fifteen year old I know. You've changed and that's inspiring and it makes me want to change as well…to be open to people and new opportunities."

Santana sighed heavily, "then we'll pass out the invitations this afternoon."

* * *

Leroy stood at the arrival gate with a clenched jaw waiting for Shelby to make an appearance. After their conversation the other night, she quickly made plans to be in Lima. There weren't any more plane tickets that were leaving NYC quick enough for them both, but she found a red eye plane that was ridiculously expensive. Leroy gave his word to help out with the ticket and Shelby was on her way.

He was apprehensive about all of this but his family was fractured and it needed to be fixed and something deep in his soul was telling him that Shelby was the key.

An announcement sound out of the PA system announcing the arrival of the plane he was waiting on.

It took some time but he saw Shelby walking through the gates with a small carryon bag. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she had on a pair of sneakers, tight jeans and a leather jacket over a dark hoodie. It reminded him of their earlier beginnings and for a moment the harshness of his presence went away.

"Hey Lee" Shelby said once she approached him, stopping a few feet from him.

"Hey" he replied softly as he bent down and pulled her bag away from her grasp. "I parked in the lot, you can just follow me" he said before taking off.

Shelby looked after her ex-husband before following behind him. She'd had several pep talks going to Laguardia. She kept talking to herself while the plane was in the air and when it landed. Her nerves were on edge, for obvious reasons and Leroy's greeting was softer than normal but it didn't calm her in the slightest.

They reached the parking lot in no time and Shelby watched as Leroy placed her bag in the back of his truck and unlocked the car doors. Silence surrounded them as they both got in and settled and Leroy started the truck.

"Do you mind if I make a call?" asked Shelby as they started to move.

She watched Leroy as he shrugged nonchalantly and she quickly pulled out her phone to place her call.

Leroy listened carefully as she reassured some man that she'd made it safely and that she would call once she was settled down into her hotel room. The call ended pretty quickly and awkward silence appeared once again.

"So you got married again" said Leroy trying to start a conversion once they reached a red light.

Shelby looked over in shock, before looking down at her ring and blushing, "yeah I did" she said softly. Leroy nodded and looked away as he started driving again.

"So this situation with Noah" Shelby started as she cleared her throat, "is it as bad as you said?"

Leroy sighed heavily, "its worse."

"Well maybe we should start now…no sense in holding this off" said Shelby.

"I dunno…he doesn't stay with me any longer" replied Leroy as his jaw clenched, "but I get what you're saying. To be honest Shelby, he may not react well to you being here…neither one of them" he said with a bit of apprehension.

"It's worth a shot though, right" countered Shelby, "I'm serious about this Lee. I'm not gonna walk away from this opportunity."

"But it ain't about you Shelby…it's about them and I hope you keep that in mind while we're going through this" stated Leroy tightly.

A pregnant pause followed.

"You're right, it's not about me, it's about our children but I'm willing to do anything to fix this" replied Shelby emotionally.

* * *

Noah woke up with a start.

Carole Hudson was standing right above him as he blinked his eyes to focus his sight.

"You have visitors" she said softly before walking towards the door, "c'mon honey" she said turning around and beckoning him forward.

Noah sat up slowly and sighed. He worked some feeling back into his muscles as he looked over at the sleeping large body of his now roommate Finn. Carole had purchased him a cot and the mattress wasn't the most comfy but it beat the first couple of weeks of his sleeping out on the couch. He quickly found his shirt that he discarded before sleeping and threw it over his body and headed out of the door. Walking down the small corridor, Noah made a left and walked into the living room, but what met him there forced him to stop dead in his tracks.

Standing in front of him was his father…who was standing right beside his mother.

Noah shook his head and disbelief while simultaneously wiping the sleep out of his eyes before looking back up. Back and forth his eyes went between both of his parents before settling on a pair of eyes that looked a lot like his own. His chin began to tremble as he starred at this woman, his mother and he looked away. Tears fell effortlessly from his eyes and his breathing had picked up.

"I'm going to give you some privacy" he heard Carole say before he heard her walking back down the hall from which they came.

Soon it was just the three of them and Noah could hear himself crying and it angered him that he resorted to being 'soft' so easily.

"What are y'all doing here?" he finally got out as his eyes traveled back to them.

Noah watched as his mother looked in his dad's direction and the darker man seemed to take his cue, "we're here to fix this…to fix us. You're mother's here to help in this effort" said his father. He dad's face was set like a stone but all the emotion was in his eyes and Noah knew it.

He stared at his father for a long time before looking away.

"I don't think anything can fix us" replied Noah softly, "we're too broken and you're too late" he said pointing at his mother.

He watched as his mother's face broke down and she looked away.

"She maybe late son but she's here" replied his father.

Noah scoffed as he angrily wiped the tears off his face and turned away, "I'm your son now huh" he replied sarcastically.

Leroy looked taken aback, "you'll always be my son" he said emotionally, "even when you don't want me as a father…you'll be my boy" he said as tears fell out of his eyes.

All three that were in attendance were now crying openly.

Noah's bottom lip trembled and unbeknownst to him, both parents were reminded of him when he was a baby, "look dad, I'm sorry about how I said what I said, but I do hate that you're gay but it's not because you're gay" said Noah and effectively confusing the hell out of both Leroy and Shelby. "…it's because it forced her to go away" said Noah emotionally. "She left because of you and I know it to be true and now, now you both want to fix this…fuck that" he said angrily.

"I didn't leave because of your dad being gay Noah" said Shelby as she began approaching him tentatively. "I left because I was being selfish and unforgiving but that had nothing to do with your dad's sexuality. It had everything to do with me and only me…you blaming Lee is wrong and the way you've treated him and your sister is totally out of line."

Noah frowned up his face at her, "who are you to tell me what's out of line?" he questioned angrily as he looked down at her, "you've lost that right years ago, then you show up thinking you're going to be savior! Please" he scoffed at her, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

"Son" said Leroy pleadingly, "we're trying here."

"Tell us what you want to do then" whispered Shelby.

Noah turned his back and squeezed his eyes, trying to force the tears to stop falling. "I want you both to go…leave me alone."

Shelby's shoulders visibly deflated and Leroy closed his eyes in exasperation.

"C'mon Shelby" Noah heard his father say.

"Lee" she countered back emotionally forcing Noah to turn around and look at them both as both parents stared at one another. They were silently communicating, something he never remembered happening in his life. He was slightly impressed that they were still able to do that after all this time.

"Fine" Shelby said angrily after a few moments.

She turned and looked at him, "I'll be back, I promise."

"Like last time" spat out Noah.

Shelby's eyes widen and her face immediately broke down as she turned and quickly exited the house. Noah watched her leave with a small hint of satisfaction. She was finally feeling everything that he'd felt all these years.

It was just he and his father left and his father was eyeing him carefully.

"What?" questioned Noah in irritation, "what do you want?"

"I want for my son to come back to me. This person standing in front of me isn't him. My son didn't go around intentionally hurting people for amusement or to inflict pain. My son, the person I raised cared about people's feelings and when he did wrong, he admitted it, owned it and went out his way to rectify it. I would like for him to come back to me…to us" said Leroy quietly before walking quickly to the door and leaving out of it, shutting it behind him in the process.

Noah looked at the closed door as more tears leaked out his eyes. Both his parents had just held out the olive branch for him. He wanted to grab it and make peace but something in him wouldn't allow it to happen. Not just yet.

* * *

"Rachel to be honest, I think we have enough for tonight…plus your grandparents are buying pizzas" said Santana as she looked over the kitchen table at the abundance of snacks and food present. Rachel had baked some banana nut bread and now she was taking the newly finished cookies out of the oven and placing them on a tray to cool. This was also a new development Santana had learned about Rachel…she was an excellent baker.

Santana stuffed another oatmeal raisin cookie in her mouth from an earlier batch and assessed the foods. Small bags of chips were out, with all assortments and flavors. Rachel's grandmother had made this big bowl of homemade popcorn and Santana had helped make a fruit salad from scratch. Now with the addition of deserts, they had enough snacks to last them a life time.

"Santana if you keep eating the cookies I'm gonna have to make more, so stop" whined out Rachel as she turned to look at Santana in frustration. Santana held up her hands in a defensive manner, not wanting to upset the tiny diva. Rachel's anxiety level was on one hundred, after handing out the invitations and getting a yes in response almost immediately from everyone invited. Santana had her suspicions that they all accepted because she was standing behind Rachel, with a no-nonsense expression on, but whatever. They were coming and this was a good thing.

"Where's your dad Little One?" asked Santana. She hadn't seen the man since she had come over, duffle bag in hand and book bag stuffed with overnight clothing.

"He's on some type of business trip, he told me he'd be here by time everything starts though" replied Rachel, "do you think we should check to make sure everything's good one more time."

Santana watched Rachel bite her bottom lip and shook her head, "Rachel, everything is good. I know you want things to go great tonight and they will if you just relax. Relax and be yourself and everything else will work out."

"Being myself never did me any favors before" replied Rachel with blunt honesty.

Santana sighed heavily and looked down before looking back up, "that's because everyone else was a fucking idiot…including me."

"I wish you wouldn't feel guilty anymore" said Rachel as she reached for Santana's hand and held it gently, "you've more than made up for the past."

"It's gonna take me awhile to let it go" shrugged Santana as she marveled at how soft Rachel's hand was. Liking it more than she wanted to admit.

"How come?" came the soft reply.

"I really don't feel like getting into it right now" replied Santana honestly, "maybe one day."

Rachel nodded and the doorbell rang out causing both young ladies to jump slightly.

Rachel's granddad called out that he would get the door. Rachel hurried through the kitchen and living room and skidded to a stop in the foyer, followed closely by Santana.

Her grandfather opened the door and widened it so that Mercedes, Tina, and Kurt could walk through.

"Welcome everyone!" greeted Rachel with excitement.

Santana placed a soothing hand on the small of Rachel's back to get her to relax, "what's up guys, glad you could make it."

"T-th-thanks for the invite" stuttered out Tina.

"Well I'm gonna leave you guys to it and I know Rachel and Santana will be a good hosts" said Ira Berry, "have lots of fun" he said before turning and walking up the stairs.

The five teenagers watched as the eldest Berry exited before Santana clapped her hands loudly, startling everyone in the process, "let's get this show on the road. Rach, why don't you show the guest where we'll be tonight and I'll get the snacks."

"Uh, okay" replied Rachel, "if you guys will follow me, we're set up in the den."

Rachel turns on a dime and walks her guest downstairs and into the spacious den.

"Rachel your home is amazing" said Mercedes from behind her.

"Thank you" replied Rachel as she blushed slightly, "my dad's really proud of it and so am I" she said politely as they made a right and reached their destination. "As you can see Santana and I have set up the sofa bed and air mattresses. I'm hoping everyone is comfortable tonight with the sleeping arrangements."

Rachel watched as her three guests, and hopefully new friends surveyed their surroundings. They seemed to be impressed with her things but Rachel knew she wanted friends to like her for being her, not because her father was once a sports star. Deciding to be honest, Rachel laid it all out on the line.

"Look I know part of the reason you guys are here has more to do with curiosity then getting to know me, that and the fact that Santana was giving you all the evil eye when I handed out my invitations" chuckled Rachel slightly, "but I'm really hoping this is an opportunity for us to get to know one another. Unfortunately what we had in common was…immoral to say the least, and even though my everyday bullying has stopped I'm more of a social pariah now, then I've ever been. I'm hoping that by the end of tonight we can become friends and at worst associates."

Rachel looked at the three people as the digested her mini speech, "well I'm down" said Mercedes.

"I'm okay with this too, but if I'm being honest I came to signify as well. I'm rather curious about your new found relationship with Santana. It's different and it interests me quite a bit" replied Kurt.

"M-me too" stuttered out Tina. "I think we have a lot in common and we sh-should get to know one another."

"I totally agree" replied Rachel as Santana came through the door with a tray full of snacks.

"Grandma Berry has ordered the pizzas, one vegetarian for you Short Stack, so let's get this party started" said Santana as she sat the tray down and went over to the still standing group. "Everything cool over here" questioned Santana seriously.

"Yes Santana we're just coming to an understanding about what we would like to happen at the end of our venture here" replied Rachel.

"And what is that?" questioned Santana with a perked brow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"To be friends" replied Rachel as she placed a hand on Santana's shoulder, "easy girl, everything is cool."

Santana visibly relaxed, "alright so what should we do first?"

"Well I was thinking we could watch a movie first or maybe do makeovers" suggested Rachel.

"Makeovers!" screamed Kurt and Santana with excitement.

"Like seriously Rachel, I've been dying to get into your closet and go to town with doing it completely over" said Santana who had started bouncing where she stood, "I can't wear regular clothing but I can definitely hook you up."

Rachel looked affronted for a few seconds, "what's wrong with my clothes?"

Kurt gasped and Tina shrugged, "okay how about we start with facials and manicures, then we'll discuss clothes…and boys" said Mercedes with a smile.

With that said, the small crew got settled. Santana and Kurt whipped out their cosmetics bag and several colors of nail polished appeared. Rachel looked up and everyone had a stiff face from the mask Santana had and they were letting their nails dry as they talked about the latest celebrity gossip. Rachel was having a ball until the topic somehow switched to boys and her spirit deflated a little bit.

She noticed that she wasn't the only one that had grown quiet and a little uncomfortable, Santana and Kurt's expressions mirrored her own.

"Why are you guys so quiet?" asked Mercedes after her and Tina shared a good laugh about a boy they thought was cute.

"No reason" shrugged Santana as she looked at her nails and blew on them, "it's just interesting to hear who you guys think are studs."

"Well who do you think is hot then?" asked Kurt directly to Santana.

Santana suppressed the urge to say a snarky response like, 'the same guys you do lady boy', so instead she just shrugged, "a lot of the guys on the football team are attractive…but I think they're only attractive to me _because_ they're on the team." This caused a lot of chuckling and nods of agreement, "who do you like Rach?" Santana asked effectively moving the attention away from her.

Rachel blushed and mumbled out something incoherent.

"You're gonna have to speak up honey" pushed Kurt.

Rachel huffed, "I said Finn Hudson…I like Finn" she spoke quietly.

Santana noticed that Kurt gulped quickly and Tina and Mercedes began to squeal, as they began sprouting off things that were appealing about the tall boy. This only caused Santana to sit back and roll her eyes. "You seem not to like the choice of my crush Santana" said Rachel causing everyone to quiet down.

"He's okay" she shrugged, "I get why you like him, I mean opposites do attract. He's the jolly green giant to your hobbit."

"Santana" whined Rachel, "don't be mean…and stop teasing me about my height, you're not that much taller than me."

"But I am taller" pointed out Santana, "besides I'm not being mean, I just think you can do better…much, much better."

"Well what's wrong with Finn" countered Kurt.

"Nothing if you want to be in Lima for the rest of your life" said Santana, "and that's not you Rachel…you gots goals and shit. I just think you deserve better than him."

"I hear you Santana but it's not like there's a line of guys outside my door, wanting to ask me out" replied Rachel back softly.

"Amen to that sista" said Mercedes, while Kurt and Tina nodded their approval.

Santana sighed, "Look guys you don't need a bunch of dudes banging down your door trust me they're not worth it" she said seriously, "but I understand wanting to be liked and wanted and I promise you it will happen one day for all of you…just wait for the right one."

"That's easy for you to say, when you look the way you do" said Tina.

Santana lowered her eyes slightly. She wasn't blind and she knew she looked good and was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Most boys only ever talked to her because of her looks but she was much more than that and hanging with Rachel was slowly helping her see that.

"I know how I look, but that's not all I am and the same goes for all of you. Admittedly I play off my looks all the time because it gets me things that I want and it makes my life a little easier but I still have flaws. I have astigmatism in my eye, I have moles all over the place and I don't like the size of my tits; I have demeaning thoughts about myself like anyone else but the one thing I do that you ladies don't is I own my shit. I work on the things that are good and I give off confidence that I've never seen any of you try using before."

Everyone was quiet as they drank Santana's words in.

"Strut your shit and watch all the boys come to the yard" she said with a smirk looking at each of them, glancing at Kurt a little longer than the others. "Enough of this nonsense, how about we listen to some tunes?"

Santana didn't wait for a response, she just opened up her computer and started her playlist.

Surprisingly it was a song that Rachel knew and was able to join in with the rest of the party with singing it. Santana looked over at her with amusement and Rachel realized that this was the first time that Santana heard her sing. Not only that, she noticed that everyone had really nice voices and they were effortlessly harmonizing with one another.

Once the song was over, Santana cut the volume down and they all stared at each other before bursting out into raucous laughter.

"We could totally be in a group together!" laughed Tina as she didn't stutter once, while they all agreed.

* * *

The sleepover went off great. Rachel was so excited about how good things went over that she couldn't even sleep. It was dark in the room and all she could do was stare up at the ceiling as she listened to everyone sleeping around her. One person in particular kept getting her attention as she slept and that was Santana. Rachel reasoned that she kept glancing at Santana because they were sharing the sofa bed but she wasn't lost on how nice it felt to have her friend so close by. After heavy conversations, singing, laughing, joking, and watching movies, Rachel felt like she'd grown closer to everyone but in particular Santana and that caused a small smile to appear on her face.

Everything in her life seemed to be going better and a lot of things were but her family was still in shambles and at times it made her incredibly sad when she thought about it. Deciding that sleep wasn't coming any time soon, Rachel quietly scoots off the bed, taking care that she doesn't wake Santana or anyone else in the process.

Walking out the den door and up the stairs, Rachel made her way into the kitchen and began pouring herself a glass of water. Her dad wasn't back yet and it worried her slightly. Her dad always had business trips, even of the short notice variety but Rachel had never seen him have anything like this. She didn't even remember him taking a bag. He just told her to have fun at her sleepover and he'd be back soon and not to worry.

Rachel shook her head as she tried to restrain the anxiety that was building in her stomach as she poured a little more water in her glass.

"Everything cool?" Rachel heard someone say, causing her to jump slightly.

"Santana!" Rachel whispered harshly at her, "you nearly had me jumping out of my skin." Rachel rolled her eyes as she watched Santana snicker in her hand. "I'm glad my fear causes you amusement" she said trying to keep herself from laughing.

"I'm sorry Tiny" laughed out Santana, "it was just funny seeing you jump like that. I didn't mean to upset you but I woke up and you weren't there and I got a little nervous" said Santana as the humor in her voice settled, "I was just checking to make sure you were okay."

Rachel smiled softly at Santana noticing that her concern warmed her heart, "I'm gonna hug you now and I can't promise that it will be short" Rachel said.

Santana opened her arms and Rachel sort of fell into her embrace, hugging Santana tightly to her, "thanks for being my friend" Rachel said softly while her head lay against Santana's shoulder.

"Thanks for letting me be one" Santana replied just as softly.

The hug lingered out until both young ladies heard keys in the door jingling and someone turning the knob.

"Who the hell could that be at almost four in the morning?" whispered Santana as she pulled apart from Rachel and she felt her senses heightened. Instinctively she grabbed for a kitchen knife that was still in the drying rack and moved Rachel behind her.

"It could be my dad Santana" replied Rachel as she tried to move past Santana but Santana was stronger and pushed Rachel back behind her.

"Doesn't your dad normally come in the back door?" countered Santana.

Rachel didn't have a chance to respond before the door opened and revealed her brother.

"Noah" gasped Rachel as she came from behind Santana and walked towards him stopping several feet away from, "what are you doing here?"

"I was hoping we could talk" he said hoarsely before clearing his throat, "we really need to talk Rachel" he pleaded, "alone" he said looking over at Santana and back to Rachel.

Rachel could tell by his expression how serious her brother was. There was a world of pain behind his eyes and he looked dejected and solemn.

"I'll be fine Santana" Rachel said as she turned to look at her friend. Santana sighed heavily before nodding and walking down the stairs. Once Rachel was sure that Santana had gone, she went into the living room and sat back on the couch. She was marginally surprised when Noah sat right next to her, not leaving them much space at all. They hadn't experienced this type of closeness and what felt like years.

"What's going on?" said Rachel deciding to break the silence they'd been in for almost ten minutes.

"Is dad here?" came his response.

"No" Rachel said shaking her head and looking down, "he's on a business trip, an unexpected one to be exact."

Noah sighed heavily, "He's actually right here in Lima."

"What?" replied Rachel in bewilderment.

"He's here…with her" Noah said looking over at Rachel with watery eyes.

Rachel felt her stomach bottom out as she looked at her brother with wide eyes, "is this some kind of joke?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"I wish it were. They both came over to the Hudson's house early this morning, talking about how they wanted to fix the family and she was here to help with that" said Noah emotionally. "I mean she was right there in the flesh." "I wanted to run to her and jump in her arms but I wanted to scream and yell at her at the same time."

Rachel looked down in shock.

"Why now? Why would she come back now?" said Rachel, not really expecting an answer.

"I dunno", shrugged Noah, "I'd thought they would've been here by now but I guess not."

"Daddy hasn't been back since this morning. I'm having a sleepover and he made sure that everything would be good for this evening before leaving out and saying he had a business trip and not to worry."

Noah shook his head and clinched his jaw. Another bout of silence fell between the two siblings.

Rachel felt tears slip out of her eyes. Her mother was back. It's something that at one point in her life she used to dream about daily. Then that dream turned into hostile anger, once she realized that she was abandoned. Her heart's desire was to have a motherly figure in her life. To have someone to discuss love, fashion, and make-up with; someone to do her hair and share her aspirations and dreams with. A person who knows what it's like to be a woman and all the things and feelings that comes along with that. The woman that carried her for nine months, breast fed her, changed her, comforted her and birthed her was now here in Lima and a multitude of emotions were hitting her all at once. She didn't know which emotion would win out but at the very moment all she could feel was a profound sense of sadness.

Her brother's hand laying on top of hers and squeezing it softly pulled her from her inner thoughts.

"I'm so sorry about all of this" Noah said quietly as his own tears leaked from his eyes.

Rachel noticed that the top of her shirt was a lot wetter than previously and she adjusted her hands so that she could squeeze Noah's back while simultaneously wiping her eyes with her left hand.

"I was a complete asshole Rachel. What I did to you kills me inside everyday…a thousand times a day. The stuff I let people get away with, the words I said and laughed at, the things I threw in your face…the awful stuff I said to dad" said Noah as he looked off into the distance. "I finally realized today that it's because of her…and what she did to us. You said it before but I didn't want to believe it. And when I yelled that you looked like her it was the first time I said the truth out loud on why I turned into a jerk. She fucking left us and it hurts so much that all I can do is lash out in anger…or try and fuck the pain away and it's not working anymore" said Noah finally looking at Rachel. He raised the back of her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly, "I'm so sorry Ellie, and I promise I'll make it up to you. I dunno how but I will. Please forgive me" he said looking at Rachel with pleading eyes.

Rachel feared that if she spoke, she would break down sobbing in the worse way so she simply nodded as she looked at her brothers green eyes.

"So you had a sleep over?" he asked randomly causing Rachel to look at him before looking away. He was her brother and she knew what he was asking, without asking it.

"You don't have to worry about Santana, Noah" she said clearing her throat, "her rehabilitation has been nothing but sincere and she's become a genuine friend."

"I know and I'm not worried about Santana" he replied, "it's the other ones you have here that give me pause, they're huge gossips and with everything happening right now…" he trailed off.

"I don't think you have to worry about them" whispered Rachel, "we're a work in progress but I think it's a good thing and I'm finally gaining some friends. Wait…how did you know they were here?"

Noah smiled at her softly and it was a genuine one that reached his eyes. He pulled Rachel into a long hug and kissed the top of her head before pulling away and standing up, "I should get going" he said.

Rachel watched as her brother walked out the house and closed the door delicately behind him. She sat back against the sofa trying to wrap her mind around the information she'd just received. Her mother was back and looking to resuscitate a dead on arrival relationship with the both of them and Rachel wasn't quite sure how to take it. She wasn't surprised in the least when she felt a body sit close to her. Santana didn't leave any room between them at all as Rachel looked over at her and locked eyes with Santana's. Distress was apparent all over Santana's face; she was worried about her and that never ceased to amaze Rachel and it was just a little too overwhelming.

Before she could control it, Rachel's face broke down and she began sobbing as she leaned into Santana's body. Immediately Santana pulled Rachel's small frame into her and wrapped her arms tightly around her body, "it's okay…it'll be okay" Santana said on repeat as her own tears slipped down her face.

* * *

 **Apologizing for the delay. I had a death in the family and it has been rough. I had a good portion of this chapter written out already but the more I read it, the more I didn't like it. Any way, I hope you guys like this update and hopefully you guys can leave a review or two for me.**


	8. Chapter 7

Leroy awoke with a start.

The feeling of not knowing where he was clouded his senses until his eyes roamed around the hotel room and the memories from the past twenty four hours came to the forefront of his brain. Sitting up on the sofa bed that was in the hotel suite, he began working the feeling back into his muscles. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes as he began thinking about the emotional day that was yesterday.

After checking Shelby into her suite, he decided it was in both of their interests if he stayed with her throughout the night. She'd broken down into sobs as soon as they entered the place and it took hours for her to even settle down to get a drink of water. It pained him to see her that way, she was once his best friend, but he was also afraid that she would leave again and he couldn't afford for that to happen.

Standing up from the bed, Leroy stretched some more before walking towards the open door of the bedroom. There was a small ball like form in the middle of the bed and he released a breath he hadn't realized he was still holding. She stayed and that caused Leroy to sigh once again in relief.

After using the bathroom, he ordered room service for him and Shelby. He hoped that even after all this time she still liked the same types of food.

Cutting the television on while he waited, he automatically drifted to the sports network, knowing that the station would provide the type of background noise he needed to focus his mind elsewhere.

Being here in this moment was throwing his balance off. Seeing Shelby in the state she was in the night before was doing something to him internally and he could neither voice it nor express it.

He hated seeing her that upset but he had long forgotten how to comfort her. At one time they were best friends, then lovers, then a married couple. Once their relationship ended in the manner it did, Leroy subconsciously ripped every trace of Shelby from his mind and heart. Or maybe he consciously got rid of her, so that he could be a good parent to his children. Either was he was now in a conundrum. He was conflicted because he wanted this experiment of sorts to work out but he also wanted to yell and scream at the woman lying down in the other room.

He was conflicted and a mess of emotions.

If this was happening to him, and it's only been one day he could only imagine what Noah was going through and what Rachel eventually would have to get through.

"Good morning" said the raspy tone.

Leroy looked up and Shelby was standing in front of him with bed head and sad, red, eyes.

It was almost like he was looking at his daughter.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked standing up.

Shelby nodded her head gently, while standing awkwardly against the door frame of the bedroom.

"Well I ordered some room service. You should freshen up because it'll be here shortly and we can discuss our next move" he said.

"Okay" Shelby sighed heavily. She turned to leave but stopped, "you know you didn't have to stay here Lee…I told you I wasn't going anywhere" she said without bothering to turn around.

Before he could respond, she'd left the room and was closing the bathroom door behind her.

Leroy felt his nostrils flare, as he tried his best to dampen his temper. He was in full mental rant by the time the door was knocked on and their breakfast was brought in and set up. Leroy gave a tip and began eating without waiting for Shelby.

Shelby appeared a little later and sat down and tried to eat but it was tough to force the food down.

"If we're going to help the children Lee, I think we should work on the issues between us" said Shelby as she threw the fork down in frustration and pushed away her plate.

"You're not here for that and neither am I" said Leroy, not looking up from his food, "it's about Rachel and Noah…that's it" he said with finality.

Shelby clutched her jaw before folding her arms across her body tightly, "Noah is lashing out at you and Rachel because I left" replied Shelby tersely.

"That not my problem" replied angrily as he finally looked up at Shelby, "I stayed" he said pointing at his chest.

Shelby licked her lips and turned her head, "I left because you cheated and broke my heart" she replied shakily, "You wounded me so much that I haven't even fully recovered, I literally felt my heart break and its still a little broken, even after all this time. We need to work on us as well if we're going to help Rachel and Noah."

Leroy eyed Shelby dangerously, "so you're gonna throw that in my face!" he said as his voice raised.

"Every time you talk to me or see me, you throw my biggest mistake in mine!" she screamed back, "doesn't feel so good does it?! To constantly be reminded of how big of a failure you are! All I'm asking is for a chance to fix this, to fix us!"

"Maybe Noah was right, maybe you should go back home and leave us alone. I'll do this on my own, like I have been for the last fourteen years!"

Shelby was stunned as she looked across the table. Both adults were breathing hard and the look in Leroy's eyes hurt her. He was still angry with her after all these years and he hadn't forgiven her for leaving. She could accept that and to an extent she had…but she wasn't the only one who held blame, and she was tired of pretending like she was.

"I'm not the only guilty party here Lee" she responded quietly, "we both contributed to the demise of our marriage. I'm not afraid to take all of the blame with leaving the kids but there were actions prior to that helped me make my decision. We have issues" she said continuing before he could respond, "we have a lot of history and a lot of problems that we both need to hash out together. I'm asking you to help me do that so we can be a better unified front when we see the kids again. If you don't want to…fine, but I'm staying here and I'm meeting with Rachel and I will work out how to be a better support for them in their lives…with or without your approval. I told you I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"This was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, so thanks again for the invitation Rachel" said Mercedes as she leaned over and engaged Rachel into a heartfelt hug.

"Thanks for coming" Rachel replied softly as she pulled away, "you guys have no idea how much it means to me" she said looking up and over at Tina and Kurt.

"I th-think we sorta do" replied Tina with a smile.

"So this definitely can't be the last time we do this. This must happen again…and soon" Kurt said. "I say we can do a shopping trip in Fort Wayne or Toledo" he offered up.

"That would be like a whole day trip but that sounds cool" said Santana from her seat in the comfortable rocking chair.

The sound of a horn startled the five teenagers but Mercedes soon recognized that it was her mom and she lifted her overnight bag off the ground, which Kurt immediately took away from the dark beauty. He grabbed Tina's bag, waved goodbye in a dramatic fashion and headed towards the car.

"Well that's my mom" chuckled Mercedes as she pointed behind her but I'm down for definitely doing this again…thanks girl" she said one more time as she gave a nod to Santana and patted Rachel's shoulder.

Heading towards her mom's car, Mercedes had a big smile on her face as well as Tina.

"Looks like you guys had a lot of fun" said her mom once she climbed into the front seat.

"We did Mrs. Jones" said Kurt from the back.

Mercedes rolled down her window and waved goodbye as Santana and Rachel looked down at them from the porch. Rachel waved back enthusiastically, while Santana returned a half-hearted wave with a big smile.

"Which one is Rachel?" asked her mother softly.

Mercedes looked over at her mom noticing that her mother's demeanor had changed slightly, "the white girl mama" was her response.

"And the other one?" she asked with the same tone.

"That's Santana, she's one of the kids that got suspended for bullying" replied Mercedes.

"A-are y-you okay Mrs. Jones?" asked Tina from the back.

Mercedes watched as her mom seemed to come out of a trance of sorts, "Yeah honey, I'm alright, I was just trying to place where I've seen Santana from before" said Mrs. Jones, returning back to the jovial personality she had just moments ago."How about we all go get some brunch? My treat!" said Mrs. Jones.

"That would be amazing!" replied Kurt in excitement, while Mercedes still wore a pensive expression.

* * *

Santana sat across from Rachel at a table in the back of the Lima Bean.

The smaller girl was unnervingly quiet and it put Santana on edge. A lot had happened over the past hours and Santana herself didn't know what to say. So she responded by just being there.

She had to hand it to Rachel, she was quite the actress. The entire morning she pretended that nothing had happened at all. She was all smiles and jovial, even though her eyes were puffy and she was tired. Santana would've never known anything was eating at her if she wasn't there to see what transpired the night before.

 _After the breakdown , Santana waited by the powder room located in the hall leading to downstairs. She watched as Rachel washed the tear stains off her face before they headed down the stairs together. Climbing back in the bed they both settled down on their sides facing one another. Even though it was dark in the den, Santana could make out Rachel's sad eyes looking slightly up at her. Before her body caught up with her mind, Santana reached her hand out and breathed out slowly when she felt Rachel's smaller hand grasp her own. It was a mark of sorts on how far they'd come as friends._

It was in that moment Santana made a vow to do whatever it took for Rachel not to crash like she saw her do when they were upstairs in the living room. She never ever wanted to see Rachel physically hurt or emotionally in pain ever again…especially if it was from her own hand.

Rachel sighed, bringing Santana's attention back to her.

Santana waited for Rachel to speak first seeing that she clearly had something on her mind.

"Wh-what would you say to your mom if she just showed up out of the blue one day?" asked Rachel quietly.

Stunned, Santana stared at Rachel for a minute not knowing how to respond.

"I really don't know" whispered Santana finally, noticing that her throat was extremely dry. She'd never given it much thought. What would she say to the woman who abandoned her with not even a single goodbye?

"I don't mean to bring up bad feelings, it's just I'm clueless at how I'm supposed to react and what I'm supposed to say" said Rachel as she licked her bottom lip.

"I don't think there's a right or wrong thing to say" replied Santana, "say whatever you're feeling at that moment. Feel what you feel" she shrugged, "be honest and she'll have no choice but to accept it."

Rachel nodded as she breathed out heavily.

"I'm scared" she said softly.

Santana reached across the table and squeezed Rachel's hand, "it's okay to be afraid, but don't run away from her. Face her and make her face her past, don't let her off the hook" replied Santana bluntly, "and know that I'll be right here when you need me."

Rachel gave an appreciative smile, "thanks so much Santana."

"No problem midget" Santana said smartly, trying to lighten up the conversation.

Rachel chuckled slightly but it didn't quite reach her eyes. All Santana could see in her big brown eyes was an immense sadness. A sadness that Santana could very much relate to because the feeling of abandonment never leaves you…even if you try to pretend those feelings don't exist.

"So I figured I would start planning the shopping trip for all of us" Santana said trying to keep the conversation going but Rachel didn't respond and Santana could tell she'd lost her by the look in her eyes. Rachel had gone back to the deepest parts of her mind and Santana accepted things as they were.

The duo finished their drinks in silence and Santana and Rachel exited the Lima Bean.

Santana began walking back towards the way they came but she didn't feel Rachel beside her like she'd become accustomed to. She turned around quickly and noticed Rachel just standing there, practically blocking the entrance into the coffee shop.

"I think I need some time alone" Rachel said looking into Santana's eyes, "I need to process this."

"Okay, where are you going though?"

"I don't know, I just need to walk around and clear my head."

"What about your dad and your grandparents, they'll be worried?" questioned Santana.

"I'll text him and let him know…you don't have to worry Santana I will be okay" said Rachel tightly.

Somehow Santana knew that wouldn't be the case. Rachel wouldn't be okay about any of this for awhile. Santana nodded her head though and Rachel turned around suddenly and walked away in the opposite direction. Santana didn't let her eyes leave Rachel's figure until she couldn't see her any longer. She sighed heavily and pulled out her phone, sending off a quick text message to Black Berry, knowing that Rachel probably wouldn't text her father until sometime later.

* * *

Rachel spent the rest of her day wandering around. She stayed in the shopping district for awhile, which proved to be a genius idea once she went into the local music store. Her mind immediately forgot the internal war she was in and she headed straight to the music charts and noticed that a good portion of them were on sale…bonus.

After selecting a good variety of music charts, Rachel headed over to the small book section and her eyes immediately zoomed in on a biography of Barbara Streisand. Rachel plucked the book from the shelf and opened it up to the first few pages. Skimming through she realized that this was actually a good biography and noticing that there were a few pictures in here that she didn't have in her other biography; Rachel added the book to her basket she grabbed earlier and continued to shop.

Leaving the music store Rachel had a new book, several new music charts to practice with, and a couple of new posters. It was a good distraction from what was going on but as soon as she walked out the store, her mind was once again assaulted with the fact that Shelby, her mother, was here in Lima, Ohio.

Deciding to head back towards the coffee shop, Rachel hurried there with her head looking down the majority of the way.

Her father would be having a fit if he knew that she was walking the streets like this but she didn't much care what the man would think at the current moment. She was mad at him and truthfully she was mad at her mother too.

Rachel ordered a tea and a sandwich and sat towards the back of the shop. She ate slowly and sipped her tea as she tried her best to work through everything.

What right did Shelby Corcoran have to come and interrupt her life like this? She was just getting it back on track. She was no longer getting bullied, the verbal assaults had crawled to almost nonexistent, she was excelling again at dance and vocal training, and she had friends and now she had a best friend. It wasn't lost on Rachel that Santana had seen her once again in a vulnerable state. Instead of just staring at her with sad eyes, Santana provided Rachel a shoulder to cry on and even cried with her. They had crossed the line of still being careful around one another and they now just were. Rachel was herself around Santana and Santana was slowly letting Rachel in completely. Noah has apologized and Rachel knew it was genuine. Things were starting to look up finally and here comes this woman to mess it all up once again.

Why would her dad allow this to happen? They were doing fine without her. No they weren't a normal family and they hadn't been working together as a unit for awhile but the three of them could've fixed it on their own, without Shelby Corcoran.

Rachel slammed her cup down on the table in anger and aggravation. She didn't know how she was going to deal with this or even get past it.

* * *

It wasn't until well after dark when Rachel walked through the door of her home and she wasn't surprised in the least when her father was there waiting.

"Rachel Barbara Berry, where have you been?" said her father tightly.

Rachel saw a mixture of relief and anger on her dad's face but he didn't raise his voice.

"I was out with Santana dad, then we separated and I went shopping" Rachel replied placing her bag on the foyer ground and hanging up her jacket in the closet, "I'm glad you made it home safely from your trip" she smartly added.

"Rachel I've been calling all day and so have your grandparents and you didn't pick up the phone once to let us know you were okay, young lady" said Leroy as he stood from his spot on the bottom stairs and walked towards Rachel and stood in front of her. It still sort of intimidated Rachel when her father did this because he was so tall and she knew she was in a lot of trouble.

"I didn't feel like speaking to anyone daddy, I just needed time to myself" responded Rachel.

"That's fine, I've never not given you your space when you need it young lady, but to blatantly not pick up is unacceptable and something that will not happen ever again…will it?" said Leroy as his jaw tightened and his nostrils flared.

"I guess not" Rachel said as she rolled her eyes.

"I guess not?" Leroy said with a raised brow, "you wanna try that answer again."

"No I do not!" Rachel suddenly yelled taken her father by surprise. "I didn't answer because I didn't want to talk to you daddy! How could you do this?! How could you bring her here?! After everything!"

"I see you talked to your brother" said Leroy quietly.

"Of course he talked to me" Rachel said emotionally as her face crumpled, "he's still my brother and he still loves me…and you. And you just sneaked attacked him with her dad…that wasn't right, that wasn't right at all" Rachel said as she shook her head and turned away from Leroy.

"Okay, so I didn't introduce Shelby back into our lives in the most effective way" said Leroy as Rachel scoffed and began wiping the tears from her face, "I concede that and I'm really, really sorry but we're fractured Princess. Our family is a mess and as the head of this family, I have to take the burden for it. I underestimated how much damage was done to you and your brother because Shelby left and that she stayed gone. But I'm determined that we can collectively work on being better as a unit together and we couldn't do that without her being here."

"She's not a part of this unit dad" replied Rachel angrily as she moved her pointer finger in a circular motion, "she hasn't been for quite awhile and that was her choice! Noah, you and I are the unit. It's been the three of us for as long as I can remember…us three, we don't need her and we haven't needed her!" yelled Rachel as she stomped her foot on the floor in aggravation.

It was clear between the both of them that this argument wasn't going to get to a resolution any time soon, so Leroy conceded in that moment as he bit his lip and looked down at his daughter. He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Rachel instinctively wrapped her arms around the strong man and began crying as he pushed her small frame protectively into his.

"She's here, isn't she?" asked Rachel as she continued to cry in her father's arms.

"Yes she is, in my office" came Leroy's response. Rachel tightened her arms and Leroy squeezed a little tighter as well.

After Rachel calmed, Leroy pulled away and wiped away the excess tears on Rachel's cheeks. He gently took her hand and led her into the kitchen where he pulled out a glass and filled it with water. Handing it over to Rachel he watched as she drank slowly, while he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Rachel would always be his baby girl, even when she got overly dramatic or disobeyed him.

Rachel handed the nearly empty glass back to her father and he gently placed the glass in the sink.

"I know I messed this entire situation up Rachel and I'm sorry but next time when you need to get away, I just need you to tell me your alright. You don't understand what it's like to not know where your kid is...you won't feel that until your have your own but I'm pleading with you to never do that again Princess" said Leroy.

Rachel looked down in shame before replying with a simple 'okay'.

"You know you're grounded right" said Leroy, causing Rachel's head to snap up quickly.

"Oh my go-, why daddy?" she asked incredulously.

"Because you didn't pick up your phone to check in with me or your grandparents. Thankfully I got a text from Santana saying you needed your space but you still didn't tell us where you were. Than when you finally got here and were ask to explain yourself and you blew up at me. I get that you're upset Princess but you know I don't tolerate disrespect well and the way you yelled at me was disrespectful to me. I'm your father...not your friend."

Rachel stamped her foot, "this is so freakin' unfair" she said.

"Life normally is" said Leroy. Rachel huffed at him and crossed her arms over her body angrily. She was beyond angry but she understood that she'd worried her father. She began biting her lower lip and shaking her head but her father speaking caused her to look up at him.

"Would you please come with me to meet your mother?" Leroy asked softly.

Rachel's mouth became instantly dry as she looked away from him. She could either agree or decline his request. It seems like such a simple request but a lot of weight was attached to it. Should she go meet the woman who by her actions didn't want anything to do with Rachel or Noah, or Rachel could delay the inevitable a little longer.

"Princess, please" she heard her father say in a pleading tone.

After sometime Rachel nodded her head, "okay" she whispered out.

Leroy released his breath out slowly and reached down to take Rachel's hand. He began guiding her towards his office on the first floor. Once he got in front of his office door, Leroy paused and looked back at Rachel, communicating with her silently to make sure she was ready. Rachel rolled her eyes but nodded her confirmation. He opened the door slowly and tugged Rachel's arm gingerly as they walked through the door.

Rachel's eyes immediately found the form of Shelby, who was looking down at her phone with a creased brow, completely clueless to them walking through the door. Rachel felt her stomach bottom out as she looked at the woman who gave her birth. She only saw pictures or images of Shelby online, but never in person and she could understand why Noah was shaken.

Leroy cleared his throat causing Shelby's head to snap up, "I have someone I would like you to meet" said Leroy as he pulled Rachel in front of him.

A myriad of emotions crossed over Shelby's face and Rachel noticed that the woman's breath had picked up from the shock of Rachel suddenly being there and it felt like time had slowed down considerably. Shelby opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to form some type of words but all that came out was a simple greeting, "hello Rachel."

* * *

Santana was completely sated as she tried to catch her breath.

She felt Brittany next to her, looking down and assessing Santana in the way that Brittany tended to do after they were together.

Brittany leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Santana's temple while messing with her already wild hair.

"I've missed you" Brittany said softly.

Santana turned towards Brittany, wrapping herself around Brittany's body, "I've missed you too" she said as she placed a soft kiss on Brittany's shoulder, "that was intense but amazing" Santana sighed as she looked into blue eyes.

"If you missed me then why haven't you been around?" Brittany asked bluntly but without any malice.

Santana sighed as she pulled away, "I told you Britt, I've just been let off punishment today really…like full punishment. Papi was really upset about the bullying; I couldn't do anything with anyone else if it wasn't Rachel."

"So that's why you were hanging out with her instead of me because she was the only one you were allowed to hang with?"

Santana huffed out, reminding herself that she has to patient with Brittany and explain things as concise as possible so that her friend and part time lover could understand properly. "Not necessarily…you weren't there Britt, but what Karofsky did by pushing her, it was wrong. It's one of the vilest things I've ever seen. She was broken and I never want to see anyone like that again…especially someone that I care about" Santana said as she looked into piercing blue eyes.

"Did you feel guilty?" asked Brittany honestly.

"Yeah I did. Still do" came Santana's truthful response. "Look Brittany I wasn't actively avoiding you and you know that, I just had to make right my awful wrongs. We helped make that terrible environment at school that contributed to what happened to Rachel…I think you know and understand that too" said Santana as she looked at Brittany knowingly.

Brittany nodding confirmed her suspicions.

"I befriended Rachel because it was the right thing to do and because she's actually a pretty awesome person. I get disgusted with myself when I think about how bad I used to treat her…how everyone used to treat her. She didn't deserve that Brittany, no one does."

"So where does that leave us?" asked Brittany.

"Right where we are now" replied Santana.

"Which is what? I mean I get why you weren't around so much now Santana, you felt guilty about Rachel and you actually care about her. You probably cared about her a long time ago but you weren't ready to admit it. But we've been us for a long time and I still have no idea what that means" said Brittany softly.

Santana laid back flat against the pillows as her eyes began watering. She placed her arm over her eyes because she hated getting emotional in front of Brittany, "you know I'm not ready for what you want and need" said Santana with a surprisingly strong voice as a few tears slipped out her eyes.

"I know you aren't" said Brittany as she moved Santana's arm out of her face and kissed the side of her cheek, "you're not ready to love yourself for the awesome person you are, I get that, but maybe you should be a little more honest with yourself on why the thing with Rachel affected you so much…and it's because you like her and you have liked her for a long time. I can see that now and I know you can too."

* * *

It was Monday at school and for the first time in her high school life, Rachel was actually glad to be coming to McKinley. Home was just a tidal wave of emotional instability and Rachel was definitely over it for the time being.

She quickly gave her dad a kiss on the cheek and promised him she'd call if she didn't feel like school that day.

Rachel quickly made it to her school sanctuary and was a little startled to see Santana already there.

"Santana, I didn't expect you here" said a slightly shocked Rachel as she closed the door behind her.

"I don't know why you didn't expect me, you gave me a key Tiny" Santana replied back with a smirk.

"True, so true" nodded Rachel as she came in and sat across from Santana who was applying her make-up in the mirror.

"So how was the rest of your weekend?" asked Rachel.

"I'd rather not go there" replied Santana softly as she looked over at Rachel through the mirror, "how about you…how did the meeting go?"

"I'd rather not go there" said Rachel with a tight smile.

They both nodded in understanding.

"So you ready to get this day over with midget?" Santana asked playfully.

"Enough with the short names Santana" snapped Rachel with agitation.

Santana smiled, "that's right, make me earn it Rachel" she said as she stood and placed a soft hand on Rachel's shoulder, "c'mon let me walk you to class."

"I'm sorry-" began Rachel but she was cut off by Santana, "don't apologize Rachel…keep standing up for yourself against any and everybody, even if they share your DNA and you care about them."

Santana was standing behind Rachel and was once again looking at her through the mirror, "seriously Rachel, don't let anyone push you around anymore" said Santana as she softened her eyes and looked at the smaller girl.

"I hear you and I understand you clearly, thank you for the reminder" replied Rachel.

Santana squeezed Rachel's shoulder softly as the bell rang out. The duo quickly gathered their things and headed towards first period and Rachel realized how normal it was now to have Santana right beside her as they maneuvered their way through the halls.

It was time for Rachel's favorite class (again) and that was with Mr. Mosher.

Santana and Rachel took their regular seats up front as the class continued to filter in.

Tina walked through the door and waved at the both of them enthusiastically and both Rachel and Santana returned the wave in the same way.

Once the class had settled Mr. Mosher walked to the middle of the room, making sure all eyes were on him, "so the last weeks or so we've been working on getting to know one another better for lack of a better way of saying that but unfortunately, I have to get us back on track as far as the curriculum is concerned. So back to economics it is people" he said clapping his hand together, while Azimio groaned out in frustration. He wasn't the only one who was feeling a little disappointed, Santana enjoyed the lessons thus far and judging by Rachel's face, so did she.

"I know, I know but we have to get back to it guys" Mr. Mosher said as he began handing out small packets to everyone. "Now before all the drama went down, we were working on economics and understanding it better through a series of projects."

As a class they revisited some of their vocabulary terms and the thinking process behind how the projects will help them understand economics as a whole entity.

"The next couple of weeks, we'll focus on microeconomics of the family household. You guys are going to be paired up and we are going to do an assignment I like to call 'Alternative Lifestyles'. Normally I would place your names in a hat and have you pick your partners that way but since we're relatively small, you guys can stay in the groups you're in. So that's Santana and Rachel, Mike and Tina, and Suzy and Azimio. Now I will assign you identities, and you are to prepare an annual extensive budget for your fictional household. I strongly recommend doing research trips into the field. The questions you would ask would be, how much money do you have to spend yearly on food, clothing, and travel? Now these are questions every household must ask and for this assignment I want you to answer them. So let's began shall we" Mr. Mosher said with excitement. He noticed the apprehension on his students face but he wasn't going to let that deter him. This was a good lesson on microeconomics and it also reinforced his method of having the students work together, no matter their own hang-ups or differences.

"Okay guys here are your identities. Azimio and Suzy, you guys are a lower middle class family with three children. Azimio you're a bus driver and Suzy you're a sales clerk. You guys are struggling to make ends meet, and are looking at ways to get more bang for your buck so to speak. Santana and Rachel…you two will be a well to-do same sex couple. Santana you'll be a advertising executive while Rachel you'll be a pediatrician. You guys are about to get married and you have to plan your wedding expenses into your budget" said Mr. Mosher.

Rachel's hand shot up in the air, "yes Ms. Berry" said Mr. Mosher.

"Is it possible I can change my job? In the future I plan on being successful on Broadway, which will hopefully lead to other greater opportunities in the show business" said Rachel.

"Very ambitious and good goals Rachel but letting you take on something you're already familiar with wouldn't be fair to the other students who have to do extensive research…Santana" said Mr. Mosher as he called on her.

"Is there a reason you paired Rachel and me as a same sex couple?" Santana asked with noticeable anxiety.

"Well, I just figured since you and Ms. Berry are closer now, that you wouldn't mind working together on this project. It also is a sign of the times. There are more openly gay couples living out the 'American dream' than there were almost twenty years ago. You guys will represent the present as it is today and hopefully the future where no one will bat an eye when you say same-sex."

Santana nodded her head and schooled her face but Rachel could see the nervousness in her eyes. As Mr. Mosher turned from them to give Mike and Tina their assignments, Rachel quickly tapped Santana's hand and sent her a reassuring smile that Santana returned.

"Mike and Tina you guys are a wealthy couple. Mike you're a stock broker and Tina you're an engineer. You have two kids in college, a house on the beach, and an annual income of four hundred thousand dollars a year."

"Damn Mr. Mosher, why the black man struggling on this little bit of money with three kids and the Chang duo is living large?" asked Azimio with righteous indignation.

Mr. Mosher smiled, "I'm glad you noticed Mr. Azimio and I'm hoping you can figure that out yourself and put that in your assignment as extra credit."

Mr. Mosher passed out a few more papers to help them out on their assignments, "well I think we're ready to go but before the bell rings, I want to wish you good luck and advise you not to spend your money all in one place" he said in a warning tone. "The lessons from this project/assignment can be directly applied to your future life, so I hope you guys give this project its deserved attention. Remember to have everything typed out and be ready to discuss your findings with the entire class."

The bell rang out and everyone began moving towards their next class. Santana walked with Rachel but she was unusually stiff and silent.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked with concern, once they reached her next class.

"Yeah, um, I'm alright" replied Santana unconvincingly, "I just need to clear my head for a little. Will you be able to get to lunch and your next classes without me walking you there?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine" replied Rachel quietly.

"Okay…good. I'm just gonna go and I'll text you later" said Santana before turning abruptly and swiftly walking down the hall. Rachel watched her friend until she couldn't see her any longer. She would give Santana her space for now.

Rachel found herself pensively sighing though because she knew Santana wasn't okay like she was claiming and Rachel had a good idea as to why but she didn't want to push her friend into talking if she didn't feel up to it. Rachel was beginning to realize that she and Santana were more alike than they both were willing to admit when it came to dealing with heavy emotions and situations. As she walked into her third period and sat down, preparing herself for the lesson, Rachel resolved that the best thing to do was to be there for her friend, like Santana was for her. Santana may try and push her away, but she wasn't going to allow that to happen. They were friends now and they were in this friendship together no matter what.

* * *

 _ **Sorry about the delay guys but when I read this chapter previously, I had to go back and change quite a few things in it, so it could go in the direction I like. I'm glad some of you are still hanging in there with me. Thanks again for the reviews, the follows and favs. It means the world to me. Also thank you for all the condolences, they really meant a lot to me. Drop a review down and tell me what you think!**_


	9. Chapter 8

_Rachel was seated on one of the big comfortable chairs that were in her dad's office. Her back was rigid and she was facing away from Shelby, not really wanting to look at the woman. Shelby was sitting a few feet away from Rachel with the exact same posture. Straight and unwavering; except that Shelby was looking at Rachel, studying everything about the petite young lady and wondering how she could fix this distance that was between them. Shelby always dreamed of the day she would be reunited with her children. She'd daydream of both Noah and Rachel running into her arms and the warmth that they would feel once they were reunited. She'd hoped that warmth would spread throughout all of them and that their reconciliation would lead to forgiveness and to developing a bond…but that was not the case in reality._

 _Right now it was quiet and cold and Shelby was just starting to understand the magnitude of breaking the tether between her and her children._

 _She could see and feel the angry waves pouring off of Rachel and it only served to make her guilt and shame more apparent. Mixed with that anger was an abundance of pain that Shelby was also very aware of. Even though Rachel was facing away from her, she could read her daughter incredibly well. Rachel after all was her._

 _Rachel looked over at her father who decided to stay in the meeting. He was sitting in his chair behind his desk with his jaw clenched and his strong handsome features showing. Rachel could tell her daddy wanted to say something but he wouldn't. This was something that had to happen between her and her egg donor and he wasn't going to get involved in this particular meeting unless he absolutely had to._

 _It was amazing that Rachel could read her father so well. He didn't have to say anything and she could tell what he was feeling. Then Rachel realized that it wasn't amazing…it was normal. She knew her dad so well because he stayed around her. They learned one another's temperament, likes, dislikes, goals and dreams. More importantly they learned to love in spite of. Her mother never did that and that's why it was so uncomfortable in this moment and it was part of the reason Rachel was so pissed off at the woman. Shelby gave up, she punked out when it got hard and as forgiving as Rachel is, she wasn't sure she could forgive this particular offense to her._

" _Did you ever regret it?" Rachel asked before she could stop herself._

 _Shelby looked at Rachel and nodded, "yes, then no, then so, so much."_

 _Rachel breathed in, "why are you here? Why now?" she spat out._

 _Shelby sighed heavily, "Because I've missed so much" she said emotionally, "and I broke my promise to you as your mother."_

" _We don't need you!" Rachel said as she turned her head sharply to look over at Shelby._

 _Shelby took a sharp intake of breath. Not because of what Rachel said but the look that was in her daughter's eyes…Lee's eyes. Rachel had a whirlpool of pain behind all that anger that was emitting off of her body. Shelby had caused that pain with her selfishness and it wounded her internally. It was a wound that would likely not heal in her lifetime._

" _I know you don't need me" whispered out Shelby as tears fell freely from her eyes, "but I need you and I'm asking you to give me a chance Rachel. I know I haven't earned your trust and I don't deserve your time or this chance but I'm pleading for it. As hard as it for you to believe, I love you and your brother and I want to make things right."_

 _Rachel sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes and looked away in disgust, "I don't think abandonment is the way you show your children you love them."_

' _That stung' thought Shelby, as she looked away from Rachel._

" _The truth sucks doesn't it" said Rachel crossly._

 _Rachel saw her father huff out harshly and she rolled her eyes and closed her mouth. Leroy was not a man that tolerated disrespect well. In fact he hated, but Rachel knew she was getting a pass because of the magnitude of the situation._

" _May I please be excused?" Rachel asked tightly in her father's direction._

" _Yes…but I need your phone" said Leroy as he held his hand out, "you're grounded remember" when Rachel looked as if she were about to protest. Rachel pulled her phone out of her pants pocket and handed it over to her father before storming out of his den furiously._

 _Shelby jumped when she heard the door slamming from upstairs and she looked over at Leroy as she wiped the tears from her face, "a little dramatic…that one" said Shelby trying desperately to lighten the mood and the sizable black hole that was in her heart._

" _I wonder where she got it from" replied Leroy's with a witty response._

" _Definitely you" Shelby said back cleverly, causing the both to smirk softly._

* * *

' _Santana's attitude sucks'_ thought Rachel.

They were in her bedroom working on the massive project for Mr. Mosher. It was extensive and tedious, which only added to Santana's frustrations, which lead to Rachel's growing agitation with her.

"This project is fucking stupid!" said Santana as she slammed her laptop shut and flared out her nostrils.

Rachel sighed heavily and closed her eyes, pleading to a higher power for patience.

"We're almost done Santana…just suck it up" replied Rachel irritably as she looked over at the darker girl who now had her head buried into one of Rachel's soft pillows. Normally Rachel would've went into a speech about respecting personal space and the proper bedroom decorum when you were a visitor, but it was no point. Santana pretty much made herself at home at the Berry residence since the beginning and although it bothered Rachel sometimes at how 'at home' Santana was, she couldn't help to find it a little endearing as well, especially now that Rachel has actually looking at Santana with her head buried deep in Rachel's favorite pillow. The cheerleader was kicking her legs back and forth in a clear tantrum, while groaning angrily.

"Santana why all the theatrics? I thought I was the dramatic one" Rachel said as she got up and sat down near Santana on the bed.

"I hate this assignment. It's too long and it's infuriating me" replied Santana as she lifted her head and began rubbing her eyes.

"The last thing we have to do is figure out the rest of the budget that includes the wedding prices" responded Rachel as she looked down at Santana, "we've done everything else but that."

"We would've been finished already if you hadn't been taking this wedding crap so seriously" Santana said defiantly. "Pick a freaking dress and let's be done with this already."

Rachel took a deep breath to calm down. It was true she was taking this entire project seriously. Only because it was a major part of their grade and she wanted to do well. She knew Santana wanted the same thing but she was fighting Rachel every step of the way.

"Santana you're being difficult and you're trying to get a rise out of me and I will not allow you to do that" replied Rachel softly, "you know I'm going through a lot right now. This project takes my mind away from things that are a little too heavy to think about."

Santana looked down at Rachel's pillow guiltily and crossed her legs, "I know…and I'm sorry" came the soft reply, "I just hate everything about this."

"Because it hits a little too close to home" responded Rachel after a moment's pause. Santana's head snapped up quickly to look at Rachel. The two beautiful young women eyed one another and Rachel felt herself pleading with her eyes for Santana to be honest and open.

"Something like that" murmured Santana as she looked away from Rachel suddenly. Rachel studies Santana's side profile and from her angle and she could see the fear on Santana's face and she immediately felt shame. "I'm sorry Santana …that was too personal" said Rachel breaking the silence between them. "If you ever want to talk about anything I'm here" Rachel said as she leaned over and delicately placed her fingers under Santana's chin forcing Santana to look up at her, "you're my best friend and I care about you a lot. I would never judge you and I'm here for you, okay" said Rachel sincerely.

Santana's eyes began to water up and she nodded silently before pulling her head away from Rachel gently. Santana took a deep breath as she began chewing down on her bottom lip and grabbing the wedding magazine that was lying next to her on the bed haphazardly.

"I like this" Santana said softly as she flipped to a page that had been dog-eared previously. She placed it in front of Rachel gently as Rachel assessed the beautiful dress in front of her. She traced it with her finger slightly and was once again amazed at the eye that Santana seemed to have for fashion, especially because the young lady was ever only in a Cheerios uniform.

"This is beautiful Santana" responded Rachel tenderly. She kept assessing the dress until her eyes scanned over the price and they bugged out in shock, "Santana! This dress is almost ten thousand dollars!" she nearly screeched, "that is way beyond our yearly budget!"

Santana rolled her eyes and opened her laptop back up, "when I get married, my wife will have the best of everything. We're just gonna have to figure out a way to put it in the budget because that is the dress" said Santana with finality.

"Why spend that much on a dress?" she countered angrily, "We could get a cheaper dress and spend some of the money we save on a honeymoon destination or a nice home" she said as she got off the bed angrily and went back to her desk to try and figure things out. Santana could be such a difficult person sometimes.

Rachel was so peeved off about having to redo the budget that she didn't realize until she was going to bed later that evening that Santana had come out to her, in a very Santana-like way…as nonchalantly as possible but with tons of meaning behind it.

* * *

It was a few days later and Rachel found herself sitting in the most unlikely of places, a therapy office.

Therapy was nothing new for Rachel. She'd done it a few times at the insistence of her father and it helped a little in her early preteen years. What was odd about this particular office visit was the fact that she was here with her entire immediate family.

Rachel pulled at her short skirt and crossed her legs tightly at the ankle. She straightened out her shirt and began assessing the room around her. The office was warm within itself and Rachel had a strong feeling that the design was clearly done like this on purpose to keep participants in therapy calm. The room was large and completely open and it had plenty of natural light coming through because of the high ceiling to floor windows, with the curtains that were completely drawn. The walls were painted a greyish-blue, with highlights of seashell color all around. It reminded Rachel of the sea and it would have been calming if she wasn't on high alert to what was about to happen.

Rachel glanced up and over at her parents who were sitting across from her and her brother. She studied Shelby, whom she hadn't seen since their initial meeting in her daddy's office. Shelby's face was like a stone and Rachel couldn't even begin to read her expression. She had on a purple silk blouse with a form fitting skirt and a nice pair of expensive looking shoes. It was the second time Rachel had seen Shelby in purple and Rachel began wondering if that was her favorite color. Rachel's eyes slid down to the clear wedding and engagement ring on Shelby's left hand. She felt the anger she'd been suppressing since the end of their initial meeting was beginning to rise.

Shelby felt Rachel's eyes on her and looked up and locked eyes with her beautiful daughter.

Rachel quickly averted her eyes to the table that had a vase full of fresh flowers and huffed out in aggravation, "it's unprofessional to be late to a scheduled appointment" she expressed petulantly.

"He's not late" replied Leroy while rubbing his head tiredly, "I scheduled the appointment early to make sure all involved would show up." Introducing Shelby back into their lives was a major flop and Leroy was trying hard to begin the healing process between them all. First thing he did was scheduled the family therapist for the four of them. He then went to the Hudson's and implored Noah to accompany them.

 _It was the coldest evening thus far and fall was definitely in full season. Leroy waited patiently as he looked at his child that favored him the most. He'd just explained about doing family therapy with everyone and how he thought it would be a good way to start getting them back on good terms. Father and son stood in silence as Noah worked out what to do._

" _I'll go" he finally muttered, "but I'm doing this for Ellie, I owe her and she has to know how serious I am about making things up with her."_

 _Leroy shook his head while scratching his incoming beard, "that's fine son, I just want us all to make a good effort at rectifying this."_

" _I'll try but I'm not sure of what I'm doing" Noah replied, leaning against the porch railing._

" _Me either" Leroy replied._

When Leroy told Rachel about family therapy, his daughter had a near tantrum reminiscent of her time as a toddler. Leroy allowed her to stomp her foot and get angry, but when she slammed her bedroom door again he added another week to her punishment. He also explained to her that she'd be joining them in therapy with less attitude, because if she didn't, she'd be spending a lot less time with her friends…mostly Santana.

The door opened suddenly and the entire Berry clan seemed to come out of their thoughts and their eyes were directed towards the door. A short man entered, who looked entirely too young to be a therapist but yet he introduced himself as one.

"Good afternoon everyone, I'm Nicholas Cooper" he said as he went around the room giving each of them a firm handshake. "I'm glad you've chosen me as the one who could help make your family better and I want you all to know I'm here as a facilitator to help with improving how you relate to one another."

It all sound extremely rehearsed to Rachel and a quick glance at her brother sitting next to her, let her know he was thinking the same.

Nicholas sat down in a comfy big chair and opened up what looked to be a thick leather folder; he situated himself and wrote something on top of a legal pad that was inside of the folder. "Let me start off by saying that I'm glad all four of you are in attendance for the first meeting. When I talked to Mr. Berry previously, he seemed a little concern that all members of the immediate family wouldn't show up" he said looking at them all with warm eyes, "I'm glad that you're all here."

All four Berry's looked at him with raised brows causing Nicholas to chuckle.

"A lot of people look at therapy as if it's a bad thing" Nicholas said crossing his legs, "but by you all being here it shows that you recognize something is wrong and you're willing to seek help to fix it…even if your reasons for being here are completely different, Leroy would you mind sharing your reasons for looking to have family therapy?"

"Sure" Leroy said, clearing his throat. "To be completely honest I feel like a failure as a father and leader of my family. I thought that making sure my kids didn't want for anything would help with them not having a mom around…I couldn't have been more wrong."

Nicholas nodded, "and Noah why are you here?"

"To make up with Rachel, I didn't treat her right and I want her to know how serious I am about my apology" Noah responded softly.

"Rachel?" Nicholas said, turning just a bit in his seat.

"I want my phone back and I want to see my best friend whenever I want to" replied Rachel smartly as she crossed her arms protectively around her stomach, "I'm grounded."

"And Shelby, why are you here today?"

"I came to try and began mending the relationships I destroyed all those years ago with my poor choices. Lee extended the olive branch and I jumped at the opportunity."

"Why now, from what I understand you left when they were quite young" asked Nicholas with no malice.

All eyes were on Shelby, causing the woman to look down at her hands. Rachel could see some emotion on her face but she didn't know how to read her quite yet, but apparently her father did, "it's alright Shelby, that's why we're here" he said as he reached over and placed his darker hand on her lighter one and squeezed. That simple act made Rachel take a sharp intake of breath quietly. She'd never seen that intimacy between her parents her entire life. Shelby nodded before lifting her head, making her watery eyes apparent to all. "The divorce between us was awful and it left me bitter and angry for a while. Slowly my heart began to heal and when I woke up from my negative feelings, it was too late…way too late. So I moved on, with my career and I was able to find love again" she said looking down at her rings causing Rachel to roll her eyes. "My husband has a great relationship with his children even though he and his first wife divorced. I was envious of what he had, because I knew I would never have it with my own kids. He convinced me it wasn't too late to reach out, to start over. So I'm here to accept my responsibility in all of this and to pay my contrition and hopefully, hopefully Leroy and the kids will accept it and we can begin building on a future together."

"How do you two feel about all that Shelby has said?" asked Nicholas, nodding in their direction.

Rachel could feel her brother looking at her as she was still processing everything. She was feeling a multitude of things and it the weight of her feelings felt as if it where crushing her chest in. she felt like an anvil was just pressing against her, waiting for her to just give in and let it devastate her entire life.

"This is a safe place guys, what's said here and what happens here is confidential" Nicholas said encouragingly trying to get both Berry children to speak.

"I dunno, I mean this is really heavy" said Noah clearing his throat. "Like a part of me wants her here, you know but another part of me wants her to go far away. She already left us once, high and dry without a mom, what's to say she won't do it again?"

"I feel that way as well" said Rachel as her eyes welled up with tears, "I feel so many different things and I can't express them correctly because my most prominent feeling is anger" Rachel said with emphasis as she hit the side of the chair.

"And why do you feel that?" questioned Nicholas as he scribbled fiercely on his legal bad.

"Because she just left!" yelled Rachel causing everyone to jump that was there, "she abandoned us and we're just supposed to forget that ever happened!"

"I don't think Shelby wants you to forget it" replied Nicholas. He was used to sudden outbursts and Rachel's screaming didn't bother him one bit.

"I don't want you to forget" said Shelby just as calmly as Nicholas. Rachel looked over at her birth giver and winced at the tears that were falling out of the woman's eyes.

"We know you don't" replied Noah with a shaky voice, "but we needed a mother and you weren't there. Dad did the best that he could but he's still a dude. I needed you when I skimmed my knee or when I was struggling in school. I needed you when I started to turn on Rachel because she looks so much like you and I needed you when I started to distance myself away from my dad because of how ashamed I was of him. I need you…we needed you and you weren't around. It just feels too late now."

There was a moment of silence before Nicholas responded, "that was a lot that you just revealed there" he said as he looked at Noah.

"Yeah well it's the truth and-" replied Noah smartly.

"Why did you leave?!" yelled Rachel as she cut Noah off. She was glaring at Shelby with furious wet eyes, something that Leroy could honestly say he'd never seen from his daughter.

"We already know Rachel" whispered out Noah to her.

"I want to hear her say it" replied Rachel angrily.

Shelby cleared her throat and took a deep breath before releasing it, "I left because my husband was being honest and finally accepted himself for who he was. A part of me was happy he'd finally done it, but a larger part of me was devastated. My heart was broken, like I could hear it shatter into a thousand pieces and the shards were causing stinging pains all over my body and mind. All I could think about was the pain" said Shelby as she closed her eyes and her mind traveled back to that time. "Lee was my everything…my all, my first, my heart and in an instant he ripped it all away from me. Everything hurt" cried Shelby as her breath hitched, "and I couldn't see past anything but that hurt and I made the worse decision I've ever made in my life" said Shelby as her body trembled. Both Noah and Rachel watched as tears escaped their father's eyes and he leaned over to pull Shelby into him, "I'm so sorry Shelby" he said strongly. "Me too" came the pathetic response from the emotionally distraught woman.

Rachel could only look on. She was overwhelmed by her mother's confession and to see the woman break down like this was difficult. She didn't know Shelby well enough to know if it all was an act or not, but something deep inside of her gut was telling Rachel that it wasn't an act at all. Rachel prided herself on knowing when anyone was being earnest or not. It was part of the reason she could forgive Santana so easily because she could feel it. The same feeling she had with Santana and now Noah, she was experiencing yet again with Shelby and for the first time, there was a small crack in the anger she was holding onto.

* * *

Santana whimpered slightly as she heard her cell phone go off in her ear. Normally when a text message notification sounded, it wouldn't wake her out of her sleep by she'd fallen asleep with the phone right by her ear. Santana shielded her eyes when she looked at her phone to see who the message was from, probably from Brittany. Finally she was able to focus and was surprised when the message wasn't from Brittany but from Rachel.

' **I'm outside, please let me in.'**

Santana looked over at the clock on her side table and furrowed her brow when she realized it was just a little after four in the morning. She scrambled out of bed and hurried down the steps quietly, not bothering to put her slippers on. She stopped in front of the door to turn the alarm system off, not wanting to wake her father who had the week off, and she opened the door to see Rachel.

Rachel was standing there in an over-sized hoodie and her pajamas, waiting on Santana patiently.

"I couldn't sleep" Rachel said softly.

Santana motioned for Rachel to come in because her feet were getting cold. Rachel quickly came through the door and the pair wasted no time heading up to Santana's room quietly. Santana closed the door behind them and quickly jumped back into her bed and under the covers.

"C'mon Rachel, it's cold and late and I needs my rest" said Santana, settling down further into her comforter.

Santana watched as Rachel removed her shoes delicately and pulled the hoodie over her head. She resisted the urge to suck her teeth as Rachel folded the hoodie and placed it neatly atop her shoes. Rachel climbed into the bed and settled down facing Santana in the process. It was dark and quiet in the room, but Santana's shades were drawn so the moon seemed to illuminate everything.

Santana seemed to be entranced by the way Rachel's eyes sparkled against the light of the moon until Rachel broke the silence, "I want to forgive her but I can't" said Rachel softly.

"You forgave me" whispered Santana as her throat seemed to constrict.

"You're transgressions weren't as egregious as hers" replied Rachel simply, "plus I knew you were genuine because you not only apologized, you changed your behavior and now we're friends. How can I trust this woman?" asked Rachel shrugging slightly.

"You trust me" replied Santana, causing Rachel to roll her eyes, "before you say that your mom and I are different-"

"You are different" said Rachel cutting Santana off.

"But we're not really. We both hurt you a lot" Santana said "and we both will have to live the rest of our lives with the knowledge that we played a part in wounding you. It's an almost unbearable feeling and the only thing that provides relief is the hope that we'll be forgiven by you Rachel."

Rachel turned on her back and was looking up at the ceiling, "I've forgiven you Santana…you need to forgive yourself, I don't know how many times I've told you that."

"I know that" replied Santana softly, "and I'm working on it okay, but maybe your mom is feeling the same. She needs you to forgive her before she has any hope in forgiving herself…and she may never forgive herself Rachel" shrugged Santana. Rachel looked over at her friend when she said that, "I can't let her off the hook" replied Rachel stubbornly, "I hate that I can't forgive her but I want to so badly because I need my mom. I need her, I hate that I need her and she doesn't even deserve my neediness" said Rachel angrily causing Santana to smirk.

"Well until she earns your neediness, I'm here to soak it all up" smiled Santana.

Rachel chuckled which warmed Santana's heart up.

"Soooo" Rachel said as she turned on her side to face Santana, "are you and Brittany like an item?" she asked softly.

Santana's breath hitched and then she breathed out as it was now her turn to lie on her back and look up at the ceiling, "I dunno what Britt and I are" replied Santana honestly.

Rachel was quiet for a few minutes before speaking, "how did you know?"

Santana sighed heavily before turning on her side to face Rachel who was looking at her earnestly. "My ninth grade year, I lost it to Matt Rutherford. He was really sweet and gentle and we dated for a little while but I really wasn't a fan of the actual sex. I just thought it was something you were supposed to do as a girlfriend. Eventually we broke up cause he could tell I wasn't into it at all, the relationship, the sex, none of it. The break up hurt though cause I really cared for him and Brittany was there. She wiped away my tears and cheered me up and we somehow began kissing" said Santana nearly in one breath. "It like awakened something in me and I knew…I just knew."

"That you were different" supplied Rachel.

"Yeah that I was different" replied Santana, "That I'm gay" she whispered out the last part.

Rachel could see that Santana was sort of still in the midst of gay panic. Not necessarily freaking out that she was gay but more so what she would do if everyone found out? Rachel realized that Santana may have been living like that for a long time and some odd things began to stick out in her mind from before they became friends.

"Was that rumor about you and my brother true?" asked Rachel pensively.

Santana nodded and looked down, "big mistake" she said softly, "especially since Quinn seemed to have a crush on him even though she's with Finn."

"Quinn likes my brother?" replied Rachel in shock, with a particular disgusted look on her face.

"Yeah…you Berry's are good looking so it shouldn't be a surprise" said Santana in her normal cocky tone of voice.

Rachel rolled her eyes and scoffed. She had no idea all of this was going on at McKinley and she suddenly realized how personal all of this was.

"I'm sorry Santana" said Rachel finally.

"How come?" asked Santana in bewilderment.

"Well, it's really personal stuff" blushed Rachel, "I didn't mean to probe."

"I'm still not sure about it all; I'm still trying to figure things out."

"Well I will keep this close to the vest. Whatever you're going through, you have my full support. The support of your best friend" Rachel said confidently as she reached over and pulled Santana's hand into hers. Santana looked over at Rachel with watery eyes, "thank you" came the barely audible response as she squeezed Rachel's hand.

Rachel wanted to give a speech on how it didn't matter that Santana was gay. She wanted to tell her friend that it was okay if she was scared, hell she wanted to sing Santana a song but Rachel was learning the importance of moments and living within in the moment, so instead of all of that she returned Santana's squeeze and softly issued her friend a 'goodnight'.

* * *

Sitting at breakfast the next morning after therapy, Leroy was writing down a shopping list. Nicholas suggested that as a family they start doing things together to get to know one another better and to help with the healing process. Shelby took a big emotional chunk out of him yesterday. She was right; they needed to have their own reconciliations and healing. It was the only way Rachel and Noah would begin giving Shelby another chance.

Leroy rubbed his brow, as he tried focusing on the list in front of him.

"You gonna give yourself a headache, you keep thinking so much" he heard his mom say from somewhere behind him.

"A lot going on" responded Leroy.

"Yeah it is, but you don't have to do everything yourself" said his mother who leaned over him and pressed a kiss to his temple. "How about I cook tonight and you focus on making sure Noah is here…and Rachel for that matter."

It was given as a direction and not a suggestion and Leroy knew not to fight it.

"Wait, why wouldn't Rachel be here?" asked Leroy.

"She's been fighting this reunion since it started…she's struggling Leroy, and you need to keep your eyes on her" said his mother, "every child rebels and you may have given her excuse to do so."

Leroy sighed, "Mama you didn't tell me parenting would be _this_ hard."

"Yes I did dear, you decided to have them anyway" she said bopping his nose with her finger, "and thank God for that."

Leroy smiled and stood from his place at the kitchen table. "I'm gonna go check on the munchkin now, she'd normally be up by now."

"No worries, Ira and I will have a lovely dinner for the four of you when that night comes. Just sit back and relax a little" said his mother as she hugged him tightly. It was his turn to place a soft kiss on her temple and he returned her hug, "I love you" he said.

"I love you too son" his mother responded in kind.

Leroy broke away from his mom and walked upstairs to Rachel's bedroom and knocked. He didn't receive a response so he walked in, expecting to see Rachel curled up in her bed sleep or at least working out on her elliptical but that wasn't the case. Her bed looked slept in a little bit but she definitely wasn't in it. He quickly walked to her en-suite bathroom to check and see if she was there and when she wasn't panic began to set in. His mind began to race a mile a minute. Rachel knew that if she wanted to jog early in the morning she was supposed to ask permission but his daughter hadn't come to him at all. Where in God's name could she be?

For whatever reason, Santana's face flooded into his head and he hurried down the steps and out of his home. He lightly jogged to the Lopez residence and knocked on the door hoping that Dr. Lopez was there.

He was in luck as Dr. Lopez opened the door and looked at him questioningly, "Mr. Berry…this is a surprise, is everything okay?"

"Uh, I'm sorry about being here unannounced but is Rachel here?"

Dr. Lopez was surprised by the unanticipated question, "I-I don't think she is…normally Santana is always at you guys place" he responded. At the mention of Santana's name both men sort of came to an understanding and they nodded at one another. Dr. Lopez widened the door for Leroy to walk through and both men headed up the stairs once the door was closed behind them. Unlike knocking like Leroy would have, Dr. Lopez just walked into Santana's room and they both were caught off guard by what they saw.

Adorableness.

There in the middle of bed were both Santana and Rachel, curled into one another, sleeping the morning away. Both ladies hands were still connected and somehow Santana and Rachel had wrapped themselves around one another.

"They look like sleeping puppies" chuckled Dr. Lopez, causing Leroy to smile himself.

"Unfortunately I'm gonna have to wake mine up…she's grounded and not supposed to be on social visits" sighed Leroy. He bent down and began shaking Rachel, causing his daughter to whimper at being disturbed. _'Some things never change'_ he thought as he continued up his ministrations, "c'mon princess, time to wake up."

Both fathers were amused as both young ladies began to untangle themselves and stretch out their limbs. Santana was muttering something unintelligibly and Rachel's brows were furrowed deeply as she finally sat up and was trying to process her surroundings.

"C'mon Rachel, you're supposed to be home…in your own bed, in your own room grounded…and without your phone young lady" said Leroy as he scooped away Rachel's cell phone that the tiny teenager tried to reach for. It earned him a hard glare from his daughter as she crossed her arms. He couldn't take her seriously though because she had bed head and was poking out her lip like she was two years old. For all purposes it was cute but he had to stick to his guns about her punishment. Disrespect would never be tolerated with him. He glanced over at Santana and she'd had adjusted herself back into a sleeping position but Dr. Lopez was putting an end to that quickly as well.

"Rachel, let's get going…we've disturbed Dr. Lopez enough" he said in his no-nonsense tone. Rachel looked at him angrily but began getting out of the bed and putting her hoodie and shoes on.

"Sorry again for all this" said Leroy in Dr. Lopez's direction.

"No worries, really" he replied.

Once Rachel was ready, Leroy escorted them both out of the house. Father and daughter walked slowly down the street in silence.

"So am I gonna get an apology for causing me to panic, leaving the house without permission in the middle of the night it seems, and taking your phone back" said Leroy smartly.

Rachel sucked her teeth but kept walking, causing Leroy to reach up and grab her shoulder gingerly, stopping her progress, "talk to me Rachel…you promised no more hiding how you truly feel. Remember that?"

"Of course I remember daddy" responded Rachel in frustration, "I just needed to talk to my friend, to help me work through everything I was feeling…I didn't mean to make you worry, honestly" said Rachel as she looked up at her father earnestly.

"I know this is a lot Rachel-" said Leroy.

"Yeah it is and you didn't even ask if I would be okay with it…you just sprung her up on me and expected me not to react badly to it…to her" Rachel said emotionally as she stomped her foot on the ground and shrugged her shoulder from Leroy's grasp.

"I know and I'm sorry, but she's here Rachel and she doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon" Leroy replied.

"She'd leave if you ask her to" Rachel responded immediately.

Leroy looked down into the emotional eyes of his child. Since she was a baby, every emotion she felt could be seen in those beautiful eyes. Right now it was swirling with hurt and pain and begging him to take away the source of her anguish. But that would be the easy way out. For too long, the Berry's had been taking the easy way out of things. Instead of dealing with what his son was telling him with how he felt, Leroy kicked him out. Instead of dealing with her feelings on Leroy being gay, Shelby ran and asked for a divorce. And now instead of dealing with her feelings of abandonment and the person that caused those issues, Rachel would rather Shelby be gone than to deal.

"She would" nodded Leroy, "but I'm not gonna ask her to do that."

Rachel turned away from him in disgust and began storming down the street but Leroy caught up with her and got in front of her quickly. Angry tears were falling out of her eyes, "move daddy" she cried.

"No" he said simply, "you can be mad at me Rachel and I'll accept that, but you have to deal. This family has spent to long running away from its issues. Like it or not, Shelby is here and she's here for the long haul and we're going to work through this as a unit" said Leroy as his voice broke a little. He hated seeing his daughter distraught like this. He pulled her small frame into his larger one and he felt a sense of relief when Rachel fell into his embrace and gripped onto his shirt like she always did when she was upset. "I love you Rachel."

"Love you too daddy" she replied with hitched breath. It took quite awhile for Rachel to calm down but Leroy continued to rub her back until she'd settled. It was an odd place to have a moment and Rachel was embarrassed that it was in the middle of their neighborhood, but her dad didn't seem to care, so honestly why should she? Rachel pulled away and Leroy allowed her too, but not before he placed a soft kiss on her temple.

Father and daughter continued to make their way down the street and back to their house. Walking up towards the Fabray domicile, Rachel remembered her conversation with Santana the night before about how Quinn had a crush on her brother and she began shaking her head in disgust.

"What's that look for?" asked Leroy.

"I think Quinn Fabray has a crush on Noah and I find it repulsive" replied Rachel.

Leroy laughed, "well maybe Noah doesn't like her back" he responded.

"Have you seen her dad? She's beautiful, he would be an idiot not to like her back…she's just an awful person and Noah can do much better than her" said Rachel just as they got closer to the Fabray home. Leroy and Rachel were both staring up at the house as they walked with worried expressions etched on their faces. There was movement on the side of the home and Rachel looked up to her dad quickly to see if he'd seen it and he definitely did because he grabbed Rachel's hand and moved her closer to him, not knowing what it was.

They both speed up their walking but then they both abruptly stopped when the source of the noise came into clearer view.

There on the side of the house was Noah, making out heavily with one Quinn Fabray in the early morning.

* * *

 **I hope you guys like this chapter. I had to cut it short because it was a little to long. Please leave your thoughts and reviews! Thanks to everyone for the adds and favs, means a lot!**

 **To Wanda: yes Rachel and Puck are biracial. Often times because Lea tans so much she could look like she was mixed and Glee often made fun of Mark's looks because he didn't look just plain white. They are not 'passing', they just are lighter skinned with certain features like each parent. Rachel looks exactly like Shelby but slightly darker with Leroy's eyes, and Noah looks exactly like Leroy but he has Shelby's eyes.**


	10. Chapter 9

"Excellent job everyone! Well done" praised Mr. Mosher as he handed back their class projects. "Everyone's project was comprehensive, explained well, detailed and you could tell by looking at it the amount of time that was spent on it. I'm proud of every one of you and you all deserved the A pluses that you received!"

Each student was beaming from ear to ear, proud of the work they'd accomplished. It was a big deal to get a good grade in Mr. Mosher's class. You definitely had to work for it, he never just handed them out. After adjusting their budget for the millionth time because Santana kept adding things to the wedding expenses, they were finally done. Rachel did the presentation, claiming that she was more comfortable being in front of her peers but Santana knew that Rachel was doing it to shield her from having to put herself out there with a subject that hit so close to home.

Rachel had a power-point presentation of their yearly expenses. She found pictures of their wedding dresses that Santana picked out, their honey moon destination and their future studio apartment because Rachel was convinced the wedding would bankrupt them. It was an excellent presentation and all Santana had to do was sit and move the slides up or down. She was happy they got a good grade on it and it seemed like Mr. Mosher was moving right along with the next project.

"Alright guys, this next project is going to be a lot more personal. You're to interview someone from your immediate family about family history. The past and then future spending habits as it pertains to the whole family, the present and future. This project is personal so the future budget does not have to be accurate, but I'm sure someone in your family has made a spreadsheet about the budget, or they've been thinking about future costs" said Mr. Mosher as he handed out the rubric. "If your immediate family wants to opt out of any part of this project, I have a sheet for them to sign and also my email, so they can email me with any questions they might have. This project is an individual one, so good luck guys."

Santana knew instantly that she would be interviewing her papi, but her abuela could be on the list as well. "You gonna ask Black Berry" said Santana towards Rachel as the bell rang out.

"Most definitely…he's my only option" replied Rachel as they gathered their belongings and made their way into the hallway.

"He's not your only option" said Santana knowingly.

"Well he's the only one I trust, so" Rachel said smartly as she hunched her shoulders.

Santana decided to drop it, "we doing lunch together?" she questioned.

"Actually I was going to rehearse in the auditorium, maybe you can hang with Brittany today during lunch" replied Rachel slightly distracted as she looked down the hall. She could see Finn, Noah, and Quinn talking to one another.

Santana stopped, causing Rachel to stop and do the same, "did I do something little one?"

"No, you've been nothing but honorable…I just thought after everything we've discussed before, that you may want to spend a little time with your other friends" Rachel said as she moved in closer towards Santana and lowered her voice. "I have to be honest, I've been monopolizing quite a bit of your free time."

"Only because I've wanted you to monopolize my time" said Santana as she shook her head in frustration, "why don't you ever talk like a regular teenager?"

"Santana, I think you've known me long enough to know I'm any and everything but regular" replied Rachel with her look on her face like 'seriously', "good deflection though."

"I'm not deflecting" countered Santana, "I told you, Brittany and I are still trying to figure it out" she responded with her own lowered voice.

"Okay…well today you'll figure it out at lunch with her and I'll be practicing" Rachel responded.

Santana rolled her eyes in response, "wait, what are you practicing for?"

"My audition for Glee club" responded Rachel as she began moving through the halls again.

"Glee" said Santana with a perked brown, "what's a glee?"

"Its show choir and the school is looking to start the club after it being dismantled some years ago. I want to be at my best when I audition, so I need to rehearse" replied Rachel as they reached the auditorium door. Rachel stopped and turned to look at Santana, "go socialize and have fun my friend" she said with a soft smile. Santana caught her bottom lip in-between her teeth and began to chew it with a worried expression. "It'll be fine" said Rachel, "she's your closest friend and confidant."

"That's you now actually" replied Santana softly.

Rachel fought off a blush and looked down at her loafer covered feet, "and I'm honored" whispered Rachel. Santana looked over at Rachel and smiled softly.

"Look, everything will be fine" says Rachel as she moves a little closer and places her hand on Santana's shoulder, squeezing gently. Worry lines appeared on Santana's forehead, "she wouldn't do anything to hurt you Santana, of that I'm sure and if she does, I'm here…and I'll tell her about herself" smirked Rachel with serious eyes.

Santana blew out before nodding and walking away. She made her way to the cafeteria, deep in thought. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to define what her relationship was to Brittany. When they were together they always had good times. Why the need for the label now? She wasn't even sure if Brittany was asking for them to label what they were. Santana slowed down before she reached the cafeteria and almost began to pace, but she heard Brittany's laughter over the abundance of noise from the students and it seemed to calm Santana's spirits a little. She walked into the cafeteria and over to the undesignated but clearly designated section for cheerleaders and popular kids. Brittany must have sensed someone walking over because her head popped up and she locked eyes with Santana as her face broke into a huge smile. This caused Santana to fully calm down and she laughed when Brittany bolted out of her seat and came to hug her, lifting her off the ground in the process.

"Hey Brit" laughed out Santana as Brittany placed her on the ground.

"Hey San!" she said excitedly, "you haven't been here in a really long time. It's good to see you" she says as she pulls Santana by the hand over towards the crowded table.

Santana stops abruptly causing Brittany to do the same. Brittany turned around with a questioning look on her face.

"I was thinking we could go somewhere a little more private and speak" says Santana as she looked a Brittany meaningfully. Brittany shrugged her shoulders and began walking out of the cafeteria leaving Santana to follow behind her dutifully. They maneuvered there way effortlessly through the halls and into the Cheerios locker room, where Brittany entered and looked up at Santana expectantly. It was their place and it held a lot of meaning for Santana. Most of their early days were spent here turning into best friends even before the thought of 'going further' was ever in the picture.

Being suddenly nervous again, Santana sat down quickly, placing one of the pleats of her cheerios in between her legs and crossing them at the ankle.

"Why're you so scared?" Brittany says as she looks at Santana intently. The blonde was always so apt at reading her.

Santana smirked, "because I want to ask you on a date but I'm afraid you won't want to go with me. I'm even more afraid about what I should do for the date if you accept" she replied, getting very serious the more she spoke.

"Of course I'll go" smiled Brittany kindly.

"Really" says Santana as she sighs in relief and her show smirk appeared back on her face.

"You know me, why would you be afraid to ask me out?" asked Brittany as her eyes pierced heavily into Santana's. It was one of the rare moments that Brittany got serious. Her entire demeanor would change and she almost wouldn't blink as she stared at Santana. Since the start of the school year these moments were becoming more and more apparent between them and it left Santana feeling unsettled. There was a turn in their relationship and she didn't quite like the seriousness of it.

"You know why Britt" Santana softly said.

Brittany looked away from her and towards the locker room door, "Okay, so this is what we'll do. I'll decide what we do on our date and I'll be the one to pick you up…don't worry, it won't be to open. It'll give us a chance to connect and talk."

Santana chewed on her bottom lip worriedly but nodded her head in agreement. Brittany begin leaning over and Santana felt her breathe hitch as the blonde inched her face closer to her own. The kiss Brittany gave was soft and welcoming, "I'll see you tonight at seven" she said before standing to her full height and leaving.

Santana felt her cheeks flush as she listened to the sounds of Brittany leaving. The nervousness was back in full force and she wondered if this was all a big mistake.

* * *

Rachel was in the midst of her vocal warm-ups when she heard the doors to the auditorium open and close. She rolled her eyes as she saw her brother walk down the middle aisle slowly but she continued to run her scales.

Noah made his way up the stage and towards Rachel, who was sitting on the piano bench and banging out the proper keys to hit for her warm-ups. Noah stood by the piano and waited patiently for her to finish. "It's been awhile since I heard you sing Ellie, I've missed it."

Rachel sighed heavily, "I don't have time to buy whatever you're selling Noah," she says while rolling her eyes, "what do you even want? I have to practice. Matter of fact, what are you even doing here?" she questioned irritably.

"It's my first day back from suspension" said Noah sadly, "plus I wanted to show you something but it's at my locker."

"I don't have time for this or you right now" replied Rachel angrily as she stood up and faced her brother angrily.

Noah looked away from the angry gaze that was upon him, "look I know you're pissed off but as your brother I'm asking you to let me show you something, it's a part of my redemption to you."

Rachel's brows raised in mild disbelief. She still had a hard time trusting him and after what she'd witness this past weekend the small development he made with her was completely vanquished. Yet again a chasm had come between her and her own blood and at this point Rachel was just tired. Focusing on music and her future was the best thing to do as of now, because anything else would cause major heartbreak and a pain that she was sick of.

"Please Rachel" he pleaded as his eyes became even more downcast.

Against her better judgment she found herself following behind her brother as they made their way out of the auditorium. She kept her distance as Noah led her through the halls and to his locker. He would occasionally look back to check if Rachel was still behind him, which only seemed to anger Rachel slightly. The anger was with her own self because she couldn't believe she was doing this yet again, trusting someone whom has proven themselves untrustworthy.

Stopping in front of his locker, Noah opened it quickly and pulled out what he had for Rachel. She stood a few feet away as he produced a Letterman jacket. He closed the space between them and handed the jacket to his sister. Rachel looked at him with a completely unimpressed expression, "what do you want me to do with that?"

"I want you to wear it," says Noah as he holds the brand new jacket it up for Rachel to see, "while I was suspended I snuck in school and asked the new coach to order this for you with the name 'Berry' etched in the back. You were never ashamed of who you are Rachel" said Noah sincerely as he watched his sister's face soften.

"You were proud to be a 'Berry' and you held your head high through all of the stupid stuff that I did and the crazy that was happening to you. I never could do that, I was so ashamed of everything that I started pretending to be someone I'm not. I took on the last name of a woman I couldn't even stand and pretended that my dad wasn't gay. I acted like you weren't my sister and that I wasn't mixed because I was a coward and I'm sorry. But not you, one of the smallest people in this building was comfortable in her own shoes and that's why we picked on you. Well that and you could be annoying" smirked Noah as he held up the jacket and tried to lighten the mood.

Rachel noticed that it was actually in her size as her brother offered the material to her again. She turned around slowly, lifting her arms as Noah slid the jacket onto her shoulders. He gently pulled her hair from underneath the jacket and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. Rachel turned around to face Noah as her hands rubbed the fabric of the jacket.

"Whenever I see you wear this it'll remind me to never be ashamed of who I am again and to never be that idiot I once was" he said earnestly.

Rachel smiled tentatively, "I appreciate the gesture Noah, I really do but I'm still very much weary about your intentions," she says "especially after what I saw this weekend."

Noah lowered his head, "it's not what you think" he says softly while burying his hands in his jean pockets.

"Then help me understand" replied Rachel looking at him intensely.

After they spotted Quinn and Noah making out, their dad called Noah's name making the kissing couple break apart. Quinn's face immediately was horrified and Noah's mouth dropped open in shock. Before Rachel or Leroy could speak, Quinn ran off and Noah took off after her. Since then Rachel's anger had been bubbling underneath the surface, she'd felt betrayed once again by her brother. He was messing with the enemy, a person whom felt no remorse for the behavior she distributed previously and Quinn made this known anytime she saw Rachel by looking down at her in disgust.

"I love her" came the simple response, "I have for a long time."

Rachel felt her nostrils flare as her eyes never left her brother's frame. He could sense the heat waves pouring off Rachel and against the advice of Quinn he told his sister the truth. Leaning against the locker he looked over at the small frame of his sister and how serious her expression was.

"We've been dating for a while now" he said.

"How long is awhile?" Rachel questioned.

"Over a year, awhile" Noah said shrugging his shoulders. "I liked her from the moment I saw her and I wasn't shy about showing that. Behind her 'ice queen' façade I knew she was diggin' me too. We did this event, you know, football and cheerleaders together and her parents were there and the both of us were talking and flirting. After it was over, her father made it known that I was to stay away and that Quinn was to stay away from me. Us even entertaining the thought of dating was out of the question."

"Did he say why?" asked Rachel as she'd been drawn into the story.

Noah gave her a knowing look and Rachel rolled her eyes in disgust. Her brother didn't have to say a word. Her family had only ever been discriminated for two reasons in this town, their race, and her father's sexuality.

Rachel nodded in understanding as he continued, "I tried moving on to the next, so did Quinn but we kept getting pulled towards one another. It felt like this invisible tether kept us running into each other and wanting to be together" said Noah.

"That tether was called high school, of course you two would keep seeing one another" replied Rachel incredulously, "that and bullying me together made you two the perfect couple huh. You do know she's dating Finn right, your best friend Noah."

He looked dejected once again, "Finn is just a cover, she dates him without actually dating him. They very rarely go out anywhere unless its school related and she barely kisses him. I know because he tells me how frustrated he is being with her. Finn is the front, that way she and I can sneak around without her dad knowing. If he found out, he would go nuclear and we would be done and we both don't want that."

Silence followed after Noah spoke as Rachel was trying to come to grips with what she was hearing.

"Quinn is a terrible person" replied Rachel as her eyes watered, "I really, really hate her…do you know how hard it is for me to say that about anyone?" says Rachel as a few tears slip out of her eyes. "Out of everyone that did what they did to me, she's the only one who hasn't apologized. She's a bitch Noah and the fact that you have deep feelings for, after the way she treated me is something I can't and won't tolerate" she said pulling of the Letterman jacket and handing it back to him, "the gesture is nice and the symbolism of it all is the sort of drama I can appreciate but I can't trust you anymore. Every time I give you just a little more forgiveness, you find a way to screw it up" says Rachel as she shoves the jacket back into her brother's arms.

Noah's jaw clenched and he sniffled as he tried to suck back his tears and force his eyes to stop watering.

"One day you'll fall in love and when you do you'll know better. You'll know that love isn't always easy, it always isn't black or white" Noah said emotionally, "the heart wants what it wants sometimes. Right or wrong, Quinn and I love one another and it's so intense sometimes that neither one of us can verbalize correctly what we're feeling. It's nothing I can do even if I were to break it off with her, my heart wouldn't let me stay away" says Noah as he stands in front of Rachel. "I love that you're sticking up for yourself lil' sister but I won't stop trying to earn back your trust."

Siblings eyed one another until the bell sound out and Noah abruptly walked away. Rachel watched as he walked swiftly through the hallways, head hung down low and clutching the jacket Rachel just had on. Her rehearsal was a total bust and she knew she would have to put in more time tomorrow…and make sure she locked the auditorium doors. Suddenly not feeling like class, Rachel made her way to her private room to think and process.

* * *

Santana put the last touches of her make-up on before checking herself fully in the mirror. It was their first official date but Santana wanted the appearance of just two friends hanging out.

She'd gotten all of her clothes and stuff back from her dad after her grounding was over but a lot of her outside clothing involved really tight form fitting clothing. It would be perfect to wear tonight to show how Brittany how serious she was, but Santana wasn't ready for the world to know. As of right now, they were just two close friends hanging out. So a pair of skinny jeans and a V-neck tee would have to do. She pulled a leather jacket out of her closet and hurried downstairs to greet Brittany at the door.

"Abuelita, I'm going out" says Santana as she places her jacket on and fixes her hair.

"With who…and where?"

"With Brittany, we're going to the movies" replied Santana looking at the woman that she admired quite a bit.

"Hmm, you know your curfew, yes?" responded her abuela.

"Si" says Santana just as the doorbell rang out and she rushed over to it and out the door.

"Slow down tiger" says Brittany with a smile as her eyes look over Santana, "you look very pretty" whispered Brittany being extra cautious of the prying ears of Santana's grandmother. The older woman was always listening in on their conversations; hence anything deemed trouble worthy happened over Brittany's house.

"Sorry" blushed Santana, "I just am eager to get away" as she leaned her head slightly towards the door and rolled her eyes. Brittany nodded and motioned for them to get moving. Side by side they walked towards Brittany's car and Santana blushed even harder when Brittany opened the passenger door and waited for Santana to settle down before closing it. Santana leaned over and opened Brittany's door as the blonde walked around the car and got in.

"So where are we going tonight?" questioned Santana softly. She watched her leg shake and that's when she realized how nervous she actually was.

"Well I wanted to do a picnic but I realized it would be too late to do that in the park, because that's the best place. So I decided on dinner…and not at Breadsticks either. We're going to the town over so we can have privacy and talk" rambled Brittany. The blonde reminded Santana to put on her seat belt and they were off.

Brittany turned on her stereo and smiled over at Santana as the familiar song began to fill the car. It was a mix cd that Santana had made when they would practice their routines on the weekends as freshman. It had been awhile since either girl heard it and it brought them back to a time period when everything was simple and easy.

 _'This is nice'_ thought Santana as they drove past the city limits of Lima. She reached over and intertwined her fingers with Brittany's right hand. When she felt the blonde squeeze her hand back, Santana couldn't help but to grin ear to ear. Eventually Brittany pulled up in front of an Italian restaurant that was a couple of towns over.

"I know Italian is your favorite" smiled Brittany as she turned the car off and hurried out of her side to help Santana out of the car. Santana blushed again as Brittany opened her door and held her hand out for her. "You know me so well Britt" says Santana as she grips Brittany's outstretched hand and is lifted out of the car.

"I hope you remember that at the end of the night" said Brittany softly as they walked over towards the restaurant. She sensed that Brittany held out her pinky and Santana obliged by linking her pinky with the blond. Once they walked into the restaurant Brittany asked for a table for two.

It took about twenty minutes for the table to be ready.

"Santana I'm gonna pay for everything tonight, okay?" Brittany said as she pulled out Santana's seat.

"Wait, what?" Santana says as she looks up at Brittany incredulously, "I asked _you_ out, I'm supposed to pay" she said lowering her voice so they couldn't be overheard.

"I know you did but since I picked out where we're going and what we're doing, it should be me that pays…please don't fight me on this" pleaded Brittany as she stared at Santana.

Santana could feel her resolve failing by the second and she nodded as she looked away from those piercing blue eyes.

"Thanks for not fighting me on this" smiled Brittany as a waitress came with water and their menus, "order whatever you want" instructed Brittany.

"Okay" replied Santana softly as her eyes perused the menu. Her anxiety was pushing back up in full force now that the date was 'officially' beginning. She didn't understand it. Brittany was her best friend and knew pretty much everything about her. She's seen her stark naked on multiple occasions for goodness sakes. Being with Brittany right now shouldn't have her on edge like this.

The two ordered an appetizer they were going to share and a main course they would most likely share as well. Once the menus were collected and the waitress left, the two longtime friends sat in silence looking at one another.

"Relax" Brittany says softly as she reaches over and clenches Santana's hand causing Santana to instinctively look around to make sure no one was watching, "seriously San, relax" tried Brittany again.

"I'm trying, this is a big step for me" replied Santana as her eyes finally settled back on Brittany's.

"I know and you have no idea how happy I am to see you finally taking it."

Santana nodded and bit her bottom lip, "you know that's all I ever want…is for you to be happy" says Brittany as she pulls her hand away gently and moves the napkin to her lap.

"Yeah" Santana said as she copied Brittany's movements and placed her own napkin in her lap. She could tell instantly that this date wasn't going to end up like she wanted. Brittany was having another serious moment and she mentioned before about them talking.

"So, you asked me out" Brittany said wiggling her eyebrows with a goofy smile on her face causing Santana to laugh aloud.

"Yeah I did" Santana says as she blushes profusely while still laughing slightly.

"That's huge" Brittany replied with sincerity, "I'm so proud of you Santana."

"I had help, Rachel kinda gave me a push to conquer my fears and go for it" Santana said as her eyes glazed over slightly as the thought about the petite young woman.

"I figured as much" replied Brittany, "I'm glad she gave you that push."

Their conversation was interrupted slightly when the waitress came out with their appetizer and more water.

The smell waft into Santana's nose and she felt her stomach growl. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food was actually in her presence. Saying a quick prayer she and Brittany began to devour the food and they eased back into their normal selves. Talk of school drama, Quinn, and cheer-leading began and they both fell back into being comfortable around one another. Like time hadn't escaped from them and they hadn't been estranged in the least.

Brittany ordered desert claiming she hadn't had enough sugar that day and Santana was of course supposed to share it with her.

"Are you having fun?" questioned Brittany as she took a sip of her water.

"Yeah I am, I've missed you and this has been great…so thank you" replied Santana.

Brittany smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes and Santana's brows furrowed in concern, "what's up?" she questioned.

Brittany looked a little downcast when Santana asked and the fear that Santana had kept a little at bay was crashing against her emotions now like a crushing wave.

"I really had fun tonight and I have one more stop for us before the night is over but I'm not sure if you wanna go after what we need to talk about" said Brittany as she looked up at Santana.

Santana's throat dried up as she looked away as she bit down on her lip and shook her head.

"I knew this would be a mistake" said Santana as she sighed heavily as she fought off tears.

"No" responded Brittany a little more loudly than she intended as she reached over and tried reaching for Santana's hand that was still on the table, "it's not." Santana wasn't having it and ripped her hand from Brittany before crossing her arms over her chest. That usually Santana mask slid into place effortlessly and her nostrils flared out in anger. She looked over at Brittany intensely and waited.

"Don't do that" Brittany pleaded, "don't close up and shut me out. I just want to talk."

"About?" responded Santana with a perked brow.

"Us, I want to talk about us and our friendship" replied Brittany.

"Friendship" scoffed Santana as she shook her head in disbelief.

Santana always had a temper and it tended to raise its ugly head when she couldn't get her way. Santana describe it as 'Snix' but Brittany knew that it was her unchecked anger. Santana's rage was always close and that's why she lashed out at any and everyone. As of late, that anger seemed to be checked and Brittany knew why. That's why they needed to talk.

"I'm so proud of you Santana. This was a really big step for you and I don't take that lightly" said Brittany, "but if was keep dating or doing whatever it is that we're doing, it would be a huge mistake and it would destroy our friendship."

"Then why come out with me" countered Santana as her eyes began to tear up, "why even bother with, with this charade?"

"Can you imagine what would happen if I said no?" replied Brittany as she looked back at Santana deeply.

Santana just stared back in disbelief; she couldn't believe she lowered her defenses this much only to have her heart ripped out of its chest on her first date with a girl.

The waitress came out with their desert and Brittany asked for the check as well.

"Can you take me back home once you're done with that" Santana all but demanded. Her posture was rigid and her face was tight and emotionless which Brittany knew was a trained behavior.

"I had one more place for us to go" said Brittany as she took her fork and began to play around with the chocolate cake that had just arrived. Santana scoffed and turned her head away from the blonde. "I get that you're pissed at me and more importantly you're hurt, but I know I've done the right thing" replied Brittany as she began fighting off her own tears. She hated hurting her best friend.

"And how are you so sure you did the right thing?" asked Santana harshly.

"Because you're in love with someone else" she stated truthfully, "if we continued to date it would be good for a while but there's a part of you that'll always want someone else…and you've wanted that person longer than you've wanted me. I know it to be true and so do you" said Brittany getting angry, "for the love of everything holy Santana just be honest with yourself" Brittany said shaking her head in frustration, "it's taking you forever to admit to yourself who and what you are, and you've only done that partially, I'd hate to see you do the same thing and miss out on something and someone who is good for you and someone that you clearly love." Brittany threw down her fork in frustration, stood up and pulled out some cash and threw it on the table before stalking out of the restaurant, leaving Santana stunned.

She sat in the restaurant until the waitress came to pick up the check and payment, telling the kind lady to keep the change. Santana knew that Brittany would want the chocolate cake that she left so she waited until it was placed in a carry-out tray. Once Santana emerged from the restaurant, Brittany was waiting for her in the car. She sighed heavily and trekked over to the car, slamming the door shut once she was in the front seat. The tension was palpable in the car and as soon as Santana had clicked her seat belt, Brittany took off. Deciding it was best to stay quiet, Santana looked out the window and she angrily wiped away the tears that began trickling down her cheeks.

They both hated when they argued. They hated it so much that within a day or two they would make up because the pain of the being at odds with one another was too much to tolerate.

They rode in silence back into the city limits of Lima. Santana just wanted this night to end and couldn't wait until she got back home but Brittany veered off the main rode and ended up going to a familiar place that Santana hadn't been in some time. She sucked her teeth in irritation but Brittany ignored her and kept driving. Eventually Brittany made a right onto a dirt road that was slightly hidden by shrubbery and the leaves that had already fallen off the trees. Brittany drove on for another five minutes before the trees cleared up into a great expanse. The car slowed and Brittany put it in park. Lifting the parking break up and lowering the windows, Brittany quickly got out of the car and slammed the door behind her leaving Santana alone inside. Santana watched in the mirrors as Brittany went to the trunk and pulled out a large blanket before walking back to the front of the car and placing it on the hood. Brittany climbed on top of the car, placing her back on the window and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and the stars were bright with a half-moon visible. It was beautiful and something that the pair had done often but they normally just walked and lay in the grass.

Santana remembered them having conversations about star gazing on top of a car once they got their licenses. Since Brittany was a year older than Santana because she failed a grade, she was able to make their dream come true. But Santana was too hurt and too angry to be around Brittany in this manner so she stayed in the car, lowering the back of her seat so she could look out of window up at the sky. It was in that moment that she wished she could experience the beauty of the night sky with someone else, which only pissed Santana off even more because it meant that Brittany was right…as per usual. Brittany always said she wasn't school smart, but she was people smart and she could read anyone and could tell what they were about within moments of meeting them. Santana chanced a glance over at Brittany and could see the blonde wiping away tears as well, which only cause more tears to slide down Santana's face. This night sucked.

They stayed this way for about an hour before Brittany effortlessly hopped off the hood, grabbing the blanket in the process. The blonde threw the blanket in the back seat and started the car up within seconds. It didn't take long for them to get in front of Santana's house with ten minutes to spare before her curfew.

Santana pulled money out of her purse and handed it to Brittany, "please take this for the meal."

"I thought we agreed I would pay for everything tonight" replied Brittany hoarsely.

"It wasn't really a date remember, just two friends hanging out so I should pay for my half of dinner" Santana replied smartly.

Brittany eyed Santana before gently reaching up and taking the money.

"Thanks for nothing" says Santana as she opened the door to get out, but felt her body being jerked back. Brittany grabbed her face quickly and placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips, catching Santana completely off guard. Brittany pulled away and before Santana could process what was happening Brittany placed several small kisses on her lips before finally releasing her, "that's how tonight was supposed to end" the blonde said softly before turning in her seat and starting her car once again.

Santana huffed and scrambled out of the car quickly, slamming the door behind her and walking up to her front door quickly, she heard Brittany screech off just as she closed the door behind her.

Her abuela was seated in the chair that was by the window and Santana knew her grandmother had seen what just went down.

"You'll be with me in church this Sunday, right" said her grandmother as she stared at Santana.

Santana knew it was a demand more than anything and chose not to fight it, "si abuela" replied Santana before quickly moving up the steps and into her room.

"Fucking Brittany" she said as she headed into her bathroom.

* * *

The next morning Santana's mood wasn't much better. She didn't get any sleep because her mind wouldn't shut down at all. What Brittany said ran through her mind on repeat all night, not only that but her abuela clearly wasn't happy. There was no doubt in Santana's mind that her abuela loved her but she's always had the feeling the woman didn't like her very much at all. It hurt Santana a lot because she never understood what she did to make people not want her or not want to be around her. First her mother, her abuela since the time she could remember, her papi would rather work then spend time with her and now Brittany. The only person who didn't mind being around her was Rachel. Just thinking about Rachel made Santana groan aloud as she glanced over at her clock. It blinked five-thirty in the morning at her and she gave up.

Quickly showering and putting on her uniform, Santana put on some make-up before walking downstairs to leave the house.

"Where are you headed out to so early?" she heard her abuela ask from the kitchen.

Santana continued to put on her shoes, "we have an early practice at school today" she said not giving the woman a glance as her abuela approached.

"What I saw last night Santana…I don't want to ever see again" said her abuela sternly.

Santana paused in her ministrations of getting ready to leave and turned towards her grandmother, "trust me abuela, you won't." Santana turned quickly and walked out of the house and towards the street out of their gated community. Normally she would ride with Black Berry and Rachel but Santana needed to clear her head from everything and everyone.

* * *

Rachel was worried.

She hadn't heard from Santana all morning, even after sending her a few texts messages and a couple of phone calls inquiring her whereabouts.

By the time the lunch bell rang out it was clear there wouldn't be a sign of her friend, so to keep her mind from worrying she decided to practice again for her Glee club audition. Deciding on 'On My Own' from Les Miserables, Rachel decided to work on the emotions of the song since she pretty much nailed all the key notes and phrases.

Starting with her warm-ups she didn't hear the auditorium doors open in the rear, nor did she see Santana take a seat in the back to watch her.

After Rachel ran several scales up and down, she turned on her small stereo that had her music on it. Taking several deep breaths before the music started to clear her mind, she let it all go. The worry and anxiety all filtered out of her as she breathed out and the first measures of her music began. Hearing the piano tinkering the first notes of the melody, Rachel took a big breath and began to sing from her diaphragm focusing on the words as much as her breathing.

In the back, Santana sat still as Rachel began belting out the first words and her mouth dropped open in shock.

She'd been teasing Rachel slightly because the diva would always say she could sing but Santana never really heard or seen a full performance. It seems Rachel had definitely been holding out on Santana and she found herself getting drawn into the song about unrequited love and being able to relate to it intimately. What smacked her in the face was not how melodious Rachel's voice was to her spirit, or how Rachel's voice seemed to lift the haze and fog from her mind, or how beautiful the diva looked in the spotlight on that stage, but what shocked her was the very thing she'd been denying herself was true. Every word Brittany said was true. As Rachel was coming to the climax of the song, Santana finally accepted what she'd been rebuffing.

She loved Rachel Berry.

She'd always liked her from the moment she'd seen her in freshman year.

And the knowledge of that frightened Santana so much that she began bullying Rachel and doing everything in her power to reject who she is and pretending to be something she wasn't; dating Matt, sleeping with Puck, and sleeping with Brittany…all in an attempt to compact one simple truth.

As Rachel sang out what Santana was feeling at that very minute.

She loves her.

She loves her.

She loves her…but only on her own.

As Rachel held out the last few notes, Santana stood up and felt an immense amount of relief that she hadn't experienced in years. Walking down the aisle, she placed a cocky expression on her face and began to clap.

Rachel's head snapped up as she watched Santana move down the aisle, with a cocky smirk on her face.

"Not bad Rachel" says Santana as she stops meters away from the stage and looking up at her, "you've been holding out on me I see."

"Santana Lopez!" Rachel screeched as she stomped her foot on the ground, "do you realize I've texted and called you, worried out of my mind because you didn't show up to school and here you are spying on me in my private rehearsal."

Santana smirked smugly and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "I'm here right now, calm your tits."

Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock before she shook her head and began to go on a rant about proper phone etiquette and returning calls or messages. Santana stood and watched the girl, smartly deciding not to remind Rachel that she did the same thing to her dad not too long ago. She was in love with Rachel and she finally acknowledged it and accepted it. Besides, it was on the only reason she allowed Rachel to berate her for the better part of an hour and it felt like she was in heaven…someone actually cared about her that much.

* * *

 **Okay, so sorry for the long, long delay. I decided to rework and revamp the direction I was going with in this story. I had things planned and I decided to change my mine. Hopefully you guys are still out there and will forgive me. This chapter is a little longer than the others and I had to cut it in half because it was getting a little to long for me. Thank you all for the reads, reviews, follows, and fav alerts. Please leave your thoughts and opinions and I hope you guys enjoyed this installment.**

 **Thoughts and prayers going out to the tragedy in Orlando and thoughts and prayers really to the entire world.**

 **Much love guys.**


	11. Chapter 10

Rachel was irritable.

She was sitting across from Noah at the dining room table in front of a pretty large meal her grandmother had cooked. Shelby was to her right, smiling a little bit up at her father who was pouring red wine into her wine glass. Looking over at her brother, she couldn't help but to roll her eyes as he was licking his lips in anticipation of the meal in front of them.

Rachel had to give it to her grandmother; she put on quite the spread and then promptly left with her granddad for 'date night'. She was staring at baked chicken, collard greens and garlic mashed potatoes. Because of her diet, her grandmother insisted on baking her some type of meat product so fish was baked as well, which Rachel was grateful for because it looked and smelled delicious. Every once in awhile she added seafood to her diet and she was okay with that.

Music was playing softly in the background as Rachel watched her father finally take his seat at the head of the table. He was smiling softly and Rachel could tell he was happy.

Although she wanted to share in her father's happiness, she just couldn't. Two people that she liked the least were sitting across from her as they attempted to be a _'family'_ that they just weren't and perhaps would never be.

"Well everything looks delicious" Shelby said as she took a sip of wine.

"It does, mom really outdid herself…shall we" said Leroy as he began scooping out mashed potatoes and plopping some on his plate.

"We definitely shall" said her brother as he immediately went for the chicken.

Rachel took a deep breath in and sighed as she placed a piece of fish on her plate. They all passed the dishes around until everyone had a little bit of what they wanted. It was still quite uncomfortable seeing as the Berry's hadn't had a meal like this with one another; months for her dad, brother, and herself and years for her own mother.

"So Nicholas suggested that we have some sort of an ice breaker tonight and suggested that we try a rose and a thorn" says Leroy as he chews some of his food.

There was immediate silence as Rachel looked and felt uninterested and Noah just continued to eat, "What's a rose and a thorn?" questioned Shelby. Rachel noticed that she was trying to help her father along in this meal.

"Well we go around the table and share one good thing, which would be the rose and one bad thing that happened to us today…that would be the thorn" he said softly in reply.

"Okay well I'll go first" says Shelby as she places her utensils down gently causing everyone to inadvertently stop eating as well. "I'll start with my thorn, which would be the conversation I had with my manager today. It wasn't a very good one" says Shelby with a cross look, one that matched Rachel's very well. "And my rose would definitely be dinner tonight…I'm glad this is happening."

"Me too Shelby" replied Leroy as he nodded, "I guess that would be my rose as well, I'm glad we're here…together."

"And your thorn daddy" asked Rachel curiously.

Leroy sighed, "That would have to be my session with Nicholas today. It was hard, add that to another conversation I had today and those would definitely be my thorns."

Rachel nodded. Therapy could be beneficial for you but the actual process is hard one.

"What about you son?" questioned Leroy as he took another sip.

Noah cleared his throat as all eyes turned on him, "my rose and thorn are actually the same thing. I got to go back to school today…and it had its good moments and bad moments" he said quickly before turning back to his meal.

Leroy hummed as Shelby nodded her head, "what about you Rachel, what's your rose and thorn?" she asked.

Rachel cut her eye at the woman before turning to her father to speak.

"My rose was that I got to sing today and practice in the auditorium. I'll be auditioning for this new glee club that the school is going to start" stated Rachel as she watched her father's face light up.

"That's great princess, it seems their keeping their word down there" replied Leroy.

"Yeah I guess they are" says Rachel as she began playing with her food, suddenly not hungry anymore as she thought about her thorns.

"And what would your thorn be princess" questioned Leroy.

Rachel sighed, "I have a few actually, I couldn't get in contact with Santana for awhile today and it worried me…but it turns out she's okay, just inconsiderate. I had a talk with Noah at school today and that sucked" causing everyone at the table to stop abruptly and look at her, "and this dinner is a thorn for me. I'm being forced to spend time in my home, my sanctuary with two people I really can't stand" said Rachel bluntly.

"Rachel!" Leroy said completely horrified, "apologize this instant!" ordered her father.

"I will do no such thing daddy" stated Rachel calmly in response.

Leroy cut his eye at Rachel and she had sense enough to gulp in anticipation.

"You asked me what my thorn was and I was honest. I don't want to be here right now and this family dinner is a joke because we aren't much of a family no matter how much you try and force the issue" Rachel said as she threw her fork down in frustration. She was now angry at having to spend time with people she really didn't want to be around.

Rachel watched as her father placed his fork down slowly and pulled his napkin up from his lap to wipe his mouth before he threw the napkin next to his plate.

"I want you to excuse yourself and go upstairs to your room now" Leroy said in a deathly calm voice that sent shivers through Rachel's body. She knew by his glare that he wasn't playing with her…like at all.

Father and daughter eyed one another before common sense came into play and Rachel stood. With watery eyes and a shaky voice she excused herself but not before glaring at her brother and mother with all the venom she could muster inside.

As Rachel walked away she felt her father grab her wrist gently "It would be in your best interest Rachel for you not to slam my door or stomp up my stairs" said Leroy in the same tone. He let go of her wrist and Rachel fought against her nature and walked up the steps and closed her door gently behind her. She went into her bathroom and turned on the shower, deciding it was best just to start her nightly routine. Angrily she undressed and made the water as hot as she could stand it before getting in and hoping the heat would wash away all the tension away from the day.

* * *

"Lee, let me go and talk to her" said Shelby as she watched her former husband's jaw clench back and forth. She could still read him well and his eyes were filled with pain and anger. It was best if he calmed down a little first before going to approach Rachel, "she's angry with me and I don't mind her letting those frustrations out."

Leroy bit his bottom lip before nodding his head at Shelby, whom quickly excused herself and walked up the steps to Rachel's room. She knocked few times but after getting no response she let herself in. Gingerly opening Rachel's bedroom door, Shelby peeked her head in first and looked around. She didn't see her daughter anywhere but heard the water from the en-suite bathroom. Walking completely in, Shelby softly closed the door behind her and stood in place looking around at Rachel's room.

Her eyes began to water as she looked at the multiple Broadway posters that were around the room. She walked over to Rachel's bulletin board and looked at all the different clippings, poems, and inspirational quotes. A couple of family pictures and pictures of Rachel performing were up there but there weren't any of Rachel with anyone besides her family. She didn't have many friends and Shelby wondered if it were her walking away that had something to do with Rachel not being able to make any.

The truth of what Shelby just thought caused her throat to constrict and dry.

' _I really fucked up'_ she thought as she heard the water shut off in the bathroom.

Shelby panicked for a quick second not knowing what to do. Should she sit in the desk chair or on the bed? Quickly Shelby walked back near the door and decided to stand near it, being as though she walked in Rachel's room without her permission. Standing to her full height, she clasped her hands in front of her as the door to the en-suite opened in a billow of steam came streaming out. Rachel walked out looking fresh faced and small. Shelby never fully realized how small Rachel was for some reason until that very moment.

"What are you doing here?!" Rachel asked angrily as she looked stuck in place.

"I-I wanted to talk to you" Shelby answered while stuttering uncharacteristically.

"How many times do I have to say it?" said Rachel in exhaustion, "I don't want you here. Why can't you get that?"

Shelby's eyes began to water slightly as tensed filled silence made its presence in the room, "I get it" she sighed, "I do but I'm not going to stop trying, no matter how much you want me to leave."

Rachel rolled her eyes before turning and hanging her towel up on the rack on the back of her bathroom door.

"You could've at least waited for me to invite you in my personal space" Rachel said angrily as she went over to her dresser to apply some lotion.

"You're right and I'm sorry" Shelby said as she took a small step forward. Rachel sucked her teeth in response and shook her head as she felt her nostrils flair in annoyance. If she ignored the women, maybe then she would get the message.

Rachel went over to her bed and got under the covers, pulling Howard close to her and watching Shelby with an angry expression.

Shelby was such in a hurry to come up here and get to Rachel that she hadn't really planned out what she was going to say. Sighing heavily, Shelby closed her eyes tightly trying to force her tears back, "may I please sit down?" Shelby asked with a voice that was a lot stronger than what she was feeling at the moment. Her question was met with stubborn silence as Rachel just looked at her while clutching her bear. Shelby walked over cautiously and sat at the end of the bed and faced Rachel, "I see you're really into Broadway" she said tentatively.

Rachel looked at her, "yeah, and" she said shrugging her shoulders. Rachel mentally cursed herself for breaking her silence, which only seemed to piss her off more.

"It's just that I did a few off Broadway shows and I think I've seen every play you have up on your wall…a lot" Shelby said powering through besides Rachel's tone, "your dad was thinking about coming to New York this summer and I could get some tickets so you could see them."

"Really" said Rachel as she perked up slightly, "wait a minute, New York?"

"Yeah, we were just talking about some ideas to try and bond and New York was one of them. I don't think he's set on it yet though…it was just an idea."

Rachel set back against her pillows and eyed Shelby wearily, she felt her jaw clench as she looked at the woman in front of her, "you have to allow me to be angry at you" she said. "You can't force this Shelby" said Rachel tightly, "you and dad are trying to create moments so that we can bond as a family and the both of you should know better. You can't force this…you can't force relationships. If it's meant to happen, then it will."

Shelby nodded curtly as she bit down on her bottom lip, "what if it never happens?"

"Then it just doesn't and you have no one to blame but yourself" said Rachel as she glared at Shelby, "some days I think I can forgive you and then I see you and I get angry all over again and you have to allow me to be that way."

Tears fell down Shelby's cheeks and she wiped them away quickly, "tell me what to do" she begged. She would never stop trying to fix this if it was the last thing she did on earth.

"Let me come to you when I'm ready…I'm not ready to know you right now."

That hurt badly but it was Rachel's truth and Shelby had no choice but to accept it.

* * *

Noah was loading dishes into the dish washer as his father was putting the leftovers in the refrigerator.

Father and son were working in silence. The night had been ruined earlier from Rachel's outburst and Noah really didn't blame her but his dad was pissed off. He loaded the last dirty dish and added the liquid before turning the machine on. His dad had put a pot of water on the stove and was already sitting down at the table in the kitchen.

"What happened between you and your sister?" asked Leroy.

Noah knew it wasn't accusatory, his father just wanted to know.

"I told her the truth about Quinn and I…she doesn't approve. I also tried giving her a new letterman jacket but she didn't want it."

Noah leaned against the counter as he looked over at his father.

"You and Quinn" replied Leroy softly.

"Yeah…me and Quinn" said Noah as he scratched the back of his head.

"You can see why your sister doesn't like her" said Leroy.

Noah nodded, "I do and I understand but I love Quinn dad, I have for a long time, I can't just walk away from her" shrugged Noah.

Leroy eyed his son carefully; he knew what that meant because he'd been there before himself. With Shelby and now with Hiram.

"You using protection boy?" asked Leroy knowingly.

Noah looked shocked for a second before schooling his face, "most times."

His father closed his eyes, "most times? That's really irresponsible son…from now on it needs to be every time, you hear me."

"Yes sir" Noah sighed out, "I should get ready to go but thanks for inviting me dad. I'm sorry it didn't work out but we can try again" said Noah as he stood up straight and stretched slightly.

"You don't have to go" said Leroy as he stood up quickly, "come home son" pleaded Leroy.

Noah's face broke a little; it's all he wanted to hear for some time, "I want to, I really, really, want to."

"Then it's done, stay home. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I don't love or want you" said Leroy as his voice broke slightly.

"It's not that" said Noah shaking his head and turning away from his dad.

Leroy walked over to his son and turned him around to face him, "come home."

Noah's face completely broke down and he began crying silently as he leaned his head forward towards Leroy's shoulder. Leroy instinctively pulled his son close to him and bear hugged him. It was no point and asking what was wrong because Noah had always been one to have to cry first before he could explain what was bothering him. Leroy held onto his son for awhile until Noah calmed and he felt the mo-hawked boy pull away from him.

Noah wiped his face on his sleeve and took a few deep breaths to gain more control over his emotions.

"I think I messed up big dad. I'm just a huge screw up but I'm gonna fix it, I promise" said Noah as he looked at Leroy with red-rimmed eyes.

Leroy looked at him with a questioning expression, "you're not making sense" he said simply.

"I've made a mess of things with you, with Rachel, eventually it will be Finn, and now Quinn. But I've got a job and I'm gonna fix it" said Noah again.

"What does that have to do with you coming home? Talk to me…and make sense" Leroy pleaded once again.

Leroy waited patiently as he saw his son struggling with whether or not to tell the truth. More tears leaked out of Noah's eyes as he shook his head in frustration.

"I think Quinn is pregnant" Noah said softly as his breath hitched. He watched as Leroy closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He knew he'd disappointed the dark man in front of him once again. He was a failure and the people he failed the most were his family, but he wasn't going to keep doing this. He wasn't going to keep being a fuck up because now he had people depending on him. Quinn was depending on him and his unborn child.

"She keeping it?" he heard his father ask him, breaking his train of thought.

"Yes…yes she's keeping the baby. I got a job at Sheets N' Things and the money you've been giving to Ms. Carole for me, she's been giving me the bulk of it. I'm gonna take that money and get a small place for Quinn and the baby. Some furniture and stuff, take care her of and be half the man you are dad."

Leroy looked at his son and assessed him and the situation quickly. His mind moved swiftly pondering over everything his son just told him. He knew Quinn's parents would kick her out once they found out about the pregnancy and about Noah fathering the child. Carole couldn't take in another kid and he couldn't quite figure out Finn.

"Wait, why would Finn be upset with you?" he asked.

"Quinn's been pretend dating him because her father wouldn't let us go out" Noah responded.

"So how do you know that baby is yours?"

"Its mine dad, she never slept with Finn. She barely kisses him, he's just a front."

"Does he know he's the front?" asked Leroy seriously.

Noah shook his head in shame and he actually heard his father groan, "alright this is what's going to happen" started Leroy, "you're not going anywhere tonight, you're coming home and that's a non-negotiable. Tomorrow you will give Carole back all the money and you'll keep the job at the store. My advice is that you should come clean to Finn as soon as possible. Keeping secrets is the best way to make sure any relationship is doomed forever, trust me I know from experience."

"I can't do that dad, I want to come home but I can't" said Noah rubbing his mo-hawk and burying his hands deep inside his jeans.

"Why not?" asked Leroy impatiently.

"Rachel" replied Noah simply, "she hates Quinn and Quinn isn't that fond of her either."

"Quinn's a bully" said Leroy as his jaw clenched, "she bullied Rachel…of course Rachel hates her."

Noah's face crumpled in pain, "I was a bully too dad" he said softly, "Rachel doesn't trust me and she doesn't like or trust Quinn. I can't bring Quinn here because it'll upset Ellie and I'm really trying to do right by my sister. Moving here would just put a wrench in what little progress I made. Even though it didn't end well today, at the very least Rachel's talking to me."

"So you want to do right by your sister by messing with a girl that doesn't treat her right?"

Noah lowered his head again, "the situation is fucked and I'm a screw up dad…I know this but I'm trying" he said with a shaky voice, "I love Quinn and I can't just turn that off, especially now."

Leroy walked over to his son and pulled him into him tightly, "I love you" was Leroy's only response. He hated seeing his children put themselves down and even though Noah had really stepped in it, he still was his son. As his father it was his duty to help him out and try and fix this.

* * *

Shelby looked into the mirror and noticed how red and puffy her eyes were.

Rachel explaining that she wanted the opportunity to come to Shelby when she was ready, in essence wanting Shelby to back off, really stung. Shelby quickly acquiesced to Rachel's request and excused herself from Rachel's room. She went into the hallway bathroom upstairs and broke down as soon as the door was closed. It took her about ten minutes to calm down and she quickly decided to call her husband. Maybe she'd made a mistake by coming to Lima and trying to make this happen.

Calling to check-in she voiced those very fears to her husband.

" _I just think it's best if I come home, it's not working out" Shelby said as she sniffled and reached for some tissue._

" _If you do that, they'll never forgive you. This is your only opportunity" said Colin, her dotting husband._

" _You don't understand, they hate me and no matter what I do it won't get better."_

" _You knew it would be hard once you got on that plane Shelby" responded Colin in an authoritative voice, "we've discussed this and I believe in you. You'll have a breakthrough and once that bond is there, than I can get my wife back."_

Shelby hung up from the conversation with a renewed focus. She wiped at her eyes one last time before walking out the bathroom. As she passed Rachel's closed bedroom door, she pressed her fingers to her mouth and kissed them before touching the star that hung there. Quickly moving downstairs, she stopped abruptly as she watched Leroy and Noah embrace in the middle of the kitchen.

' _At least some progress is being made'_ she thought as she walked slowly towards the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Father and son pulled away and Shelby cleared her throat to make her presence known, causing the guys to jump slightly, "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, it will be" answered Leroy as he wiped at his eyes. "Son please go upstairs and go to bed, I'll handle everything." Leroy held his hand up when Noah began to argue, "Be a kid…at least for tonight" countered Leroy.

Noah sighed heavily and nodded, before excusing himself and leaving. Shelby quickly moved so that her son could get pass her with slumped shoulders and she watched him walk up the steps apprehensively towards his room.

"How'd it go with Rachel?" asked Leroy bringing Shelby's attention back to him.

"Not very good" said Shelby as she walked into the kitchen and slumped down into the seat, "she asked for me to give her some space so that's what I'm going to do. I'll still be around but I can't force my way into their lives…what we've been doing hasn't been working but Colin told me not to give up, so I won't."

"Colin huh" said Leroy as he looked down at Shelby.

"Yeah…Colin" she said as she felt her cheeks warm, looking away from him.

"How long have you two, you know?"

"We got married last year" she said as she crossed her arms protectively across her stomach, "we dated for a few years prior to that."

"Newlyweds" said Leroy as he finally took a seat across from Shelby.

Shelby nodded, not really knowing how to respond at the moment.

"I guess that's why you're always on the phone" said Leroy looking at her profile, apparently the dining room had become very interesting, "He treat you right?" Leroy asked quietly.

Shelby turned her head towards Leroy, looking at him with a questioning look, she nodded her confirmation and Leroy felt himself sigh as he felt himself nodding as well. There would always be love there, always. Former lovers stared at one another, dark brown eyes looking at green ones. Memories of first times, a wedding, child births, laughs, cries, and pain filtered between the both of them without one word being uttered. They would always be connected, the two souls upstairs made sure of that and they would do whatever it was to right the wrongs that they themselves created, and that Noah and Rachel had to deal with because of them.

"So grandma, let me tell you about your son" said Leroy chuckling and disbelief.

Shelby looked at him with disgust on her face at being called a grandmother mixed with confusion as Leroy began to recount what happened earlier.

* * *

The footsteps sound familiar but she hadn't heard them in quite awhile and Rachel got up and rushed towards her door. She opened it apprehensively and stepped out into the hallway, where her eyes laid on the figure of her brother. He was standing in front of his closed bedroom door, his chest was heaving and his shoulders moved slightly. She knew he was crying and there was a part of her that wanted to go over there and comfort her brother, but a larger part was still very much angry with him. She glared hotly at the back of his head and turned quickly, shutting her door behind her.

"Welcome home Noah" she huffed out hotly before getting into her bed and hunkering down with a tight grip on Howard.

The next morning Rachel was awoken with hands being combed through her hair softly, and massaging her scalp. Rachel hummed out in contentment. Her father had been waking her up like this since she could remember anything and it was a welcomed relief after the night she had before. She finally turned over to look at him and could tell immediately by his tired eyes he hadn't gotten much sleep from the night before.

"Mornin' princess."

Rachel didn't say anything as she looked at her dad. The night's events playing over again in her mind as she stared into his eyes. "Noah's home" she finally said with a hoarse voice.

Leroy nodded and without prompting began explaining everything that happened and would likely be happening.

* * *

Rachel's anger and bad attitude followed her to school once her dad dropped her off. Her anger only continued to rise when she saw Quinn Fabray in the hallway. Her nostrils flared and she felt her jaw clench. Rachel stalked over to her locker, it took a few times to get her combination right but when she finally opened her locker, she saw the jacket her brother tried giving her the day before and a small note.

' **I'm sorry, I really am' ~ Noah**

Rachel sucked in her breath and crumpled the note as her eyes began watering. She was on the verge of sobbing from being completely overwhelmed. She always hated when she felt too much because she never could hide it. Rachel began counting down from twenty and taking deep breaths trying to calm her nerves, but it wasn't working.

She felt Santana's presence next to her before actually seeing her and she felt Santana's hand placed on the small of her back, "how about we go to your special place?" she heard her say softly. Rachel looked over to her right into the deep brown eyes of Santana's. Worry was etched all over the beautiful young woman's face and Rachel could only nod in response. She slammed her locker shut and followed Santana as she led the way.

Santana moved with expertise as she led them through the auditorium doors, finding the stage lights with little to no effort and leading them back towards the dressing room. Santana pulled out the key that Rachel had given her and unlocked the door, pulling Rachel's arm gently they walked through the door. Santana went about turning the lights on and Rachel felt herself squinting with the brightness the room suddenly had.

"What happened, Rachel?" asked Santana gently as she turned back around once the door was fully closed and eyeing Rachel with concern.

Rachel's face immediately crumbled and Santana rushed over to her and pulled Rachel's body into her own as Rachel buried her face into Santana's shoulder. Whimpering noises could be heard as Santana began trying to soothe her friend. Rachel could feel Santana rubbing her back softly and she'd place her hand gently on the back of her head. This only made Rachel cry harder, causing Santana to tighten her embrace and Rachel to grip a small piece of Santana's cheerleader uniform being as though her arms were pinned between the two of them. Rachel could hear Santana promising that 'everything would be alright' and how she was 'here for her'. Rachel tried but couldn't stop crying because she wanted this from Shelby. Shouldn't her mother be doing this? Shouldn't she be the one who told her things would be better eventually? To hug and console?

Rachel could no longer make herself feel vulnerable around her family and that hurt tremendously. The one person she could express herself around was the last person she'd ever thought it would be but here she was clutched closely to Santana, who was continuing to whisper soothing words to her. Even though she was a mess, Rachel was glad she had Santana to lean on. They'd become close over a short period of time but there relationship up till this point was genuine and real. Rachel felt that and she knew Santana felt it too.

Eventually Rachel calmed down enough to only be hitching every few seconds. She pulled her pinned arms away slightly and wrapped them around Santana's waist as she turned her head to the side, still keeping it on Santana's shoulder. She took a steadying breath and blew out harshly, trying to calm herself even more.

To her credit Santana just kept up her ministrations of rubbing Rachel's back and keeping her in a tight embrace. Rachel was comfortable enough to just let it all out. She spilled her guts on everything; Noah being back home, Quinn's pregnancy, Shelby's insistent intrusion and forced reconciliation, and the constant arguments she got into with her daddy. It was so overwhelming and she wasn't a fan of therapy, group or otherwise. Santana listened with rapt attention, only gasping slightly when she heard about Quinn's pregnancy. By the time Rachel finished her story, she only had a few tears slipping out of her eyes.

Pulling away from Santana slowly, Rachel looked up at her friend. Pain was swirling all in Santana's eyes as she looked at her and she suddenly felt the soft hand of her friend began wiping the tears on her cheeks away, "how about you stay here today and I'll tell your teachers and get your work for you" she said.

Rachel immediately shook her head, "I can't. I have to prepare for my audition today and I have a few assignments to turn in."

"Rachel this place was made for the days when you feel like this. It's for you to recoup and get yourself together" replied Santana as her voice wavered slightly. Rachel knew she was thinking of the past…their past, so she reached over and grabbed Santana's hand and squeezed.

"I know what this room is but I can't afford to let this derail my future or my chosen course."

Santana chuckled in disbelief as she returned Rachel's hand squeeze, "Let me help you Rach."

Rachel locked eyes with Santana for awhile before nodding her consent.

"Do you have lunch for today? If not I can get go and get some" Santana said as she pulled Rachel over to the bean bag and forced the small teen to sit.

"Daddy made me lunch today but I could really use some tea. I fear I may have messed up my vocal chords up for today, which isn't good because of my audition."

"Whoever is in charge of this club would be an idiot if they didn't pick you, but I will go out and get your tea. I want you to relax Rach, everything will work out…I promise."

* * *

Santana made sure Rachel was settled before leaving out of the dressing room into the auditorium and eventually into the halls. They'd missed first period already and Santana headed straight towards the office to let the principal know what was going on with Rachel. Rachel had explained to Santana that she could get permission to miss classes if she was having an emotionally challenging day and Santana was sure today would qualify as one of those days.

After making Mr. Greene aware of the situation, Santana went around collecting Rachel's work and turning in her homework assignments. After that Santana left the school to drive over to the Lima Bean to get Rachel's tea. It was good that she was able to leave school because she had to process her emotions and get them under some type of control. She hated seeing Rachel that upset and in that type of pain. She promised herself she never wanted see Rachel like that ever again but she had no control over this. This was completely out of her hands because Rachel's family was even more messed up than her own. The only way she knew how to help was by being there whenever the small diva needed her and today was one of those days.

She quickly made her way back to school and back to the dressing room where Rachel was looking in the mirror and pulling at her eyes, trying to get the puffiness to go away.

"Here Rach" Santana said handing over the hot drink.

"I look a mess" sighed the small diva, huffing in frustration as she turned away from the mirror, "it's no way I can audition today. I wonder if Mr. Schuester will allow me to postpone."

Santana looked at Rachel carefully, "No delay's, you're ready for this. I'll help you with your make-up and you'll look beautiful on that stage. Those other people will be mad they even showed up for an audition" she said confidently as she eyed Rachel.

The smaller teen cheeks flushed heavily as she issued Santana a soft 'thank you' and took a sip of her tea.

"Seriously, thank you for everything today. I feel like I'm on an emotional roller-coaster and you've been my one constant" Rachel said placing her expressive brown eyes on Santana's, "I just want you to know that I don't take that lightly or for granted."

Santana felt the butterflies in her stomach make an appearance, flapping their wings harshly, letting her know how big a softy she really was. "You don't have to be bashful Santana, I'm just speaking truth" Rachel said as she nodded to herself, "you've been my anchor and I want you to know that I'll always be yours, whenever you need me…your best friend" she said with an innocent smile and a look of pure eagerness. It was the first time she'd seen Rachel smile in a couple of days and she felt her body becoming warm from her chest on outward. She couldn't believe it but her blush deepened and she fought off the urge to cry from happiness. "You're my best friend Rachel, there's no reason for you to ever question that and I promise you I'll always be here…always" Santana said, suddenly getting serious, pledging herself to Rachel forever.

Rachel smirked softly, "I'm gonna hug you now, it'll be quick" she said while walking over to Santana and pulling her into an embrace. Santana pulled her even closer and squeezed, hoping she could transfer everything she was feeling to Rachel with the embrace. Eventually the unlikely pair pulled away and Santana looked down at Rachel assessing her face and what she would do to help get her ready for the audition.

"Alright gremlin, I'm gonna hook you up so go have a seat."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the name but went and sat down, while Santana went to work.

By the time auditions rolled around, Rachel's puffy red eyes were gone and Santana had curled and styled her hair and put the minimum amount of make-up on her face, making Rachel more beautiful than she already was. Rachel had done her vocal warm-ups in the dressing room and walked out of there feeling and looking a lot more confident than she had that morning.

Santana went out of the side door by the stage and walked around to the entrance of the auditorium. The auditions were meant to be closed, but Santana didn't care. She was going to watch and make sure Rachel got in, even if it meant her being a bitch to Mr. Schuster. Deciding it was best to go to the top level, Santana walked up and snuck in and sat in the back.

Santana sat back and enjoyed the show. A guy in a wheel chair auditioned that she'd seen around school but never interacted with. He had a good voice and she enjoyed his selection of 'Pony' by Genuwine. The irony wasn't lost on Santana and she liked that he was soulful. Her eye perked at Tina singing 'I Kissed A Girl', her voice was stronger than she remembered and Santana saw a confidence with Tina on the stage that she'd never seen in person. Santana couldn't help but giggle at Kurt singing 'Mr. Cellophane', it was an odd choice and when he flipped his bang, she almost lost it but was able to keep her composure. Mercedes was next and Santana found she was grinning like an idiot at the power that came from the dark beauty. When the piano guy threw his head back from enjoyment, Santana nodded in agreement because she felt the exact same way and she had to fight herself from clapping after the song was over. Next up was Rachel…her Rachel and for the first time Santana felt nervousness course through her body. She knew Rachel would do well but today was difficult for her and she had doubts.

Rachel walked onto the stage and introduced her name and song she was performing, _'God she's so small'_ she thought to herself as the piano player began tinkling out the first few notes of Rachel's song. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until Rachel began singing the first few notes. Santana literally felt her heart expanding as the song continued and she was caught up once again in Rachel's voice and the meaning of 'On My Own'. Santana's breathing had picked up as Rachel hit the climax of the song and then dramatically ended it. Her eyes watered slightly when she heard Mr. Schuster say "welcome to the Glee club". Her little hobbit did it, she'd put all the frustration, anger, and pain into her performance and murdered it. Santana was so caught up in the performance that she didn't realize someone else had been in the top seats with her until she saw a body escape through the doors. Santana moved quickly to catch who it was, thinking it was some idiot from the student body trying to cause trouble.

It wasn't a kid at all though and Santana had a sneaky suspicion who it was.

"Wait!" she called out, causing the woman to stop in her tracks and turn around slowly.

Santana did a double take, shaking her head at the immense likeness between Rachel and who was clearly her biological mom standing in front of her. "Jesus, she looks just like you" said Santana.

She noticed the tear tracks on the older woman's face and she realized she wasn't the only one that had gotten emotional during Rachel's performance.

"Please don't tell her I was here, I'm supposed to be giving her space and I just-I just had to see her perform" pleaded Shelby as Santana eyed her suspiciously.

A tensed filled moment happened between the two of them. Santana made a snap judgment and decided she didn't like the woman and she was going to make that known.

"You're hurting her by being here" replied Santana smartly as she crossed her arms over her chest, "you should stay away from her and go back to wherever you came from."

Santana watched as Shelby's eyes squared and her head tilted to the side, looking Santana up and down as she was clearly assessing her, "Rachel and I's relationship is none of your business- "

"Relationship?" scoffed Santana, "please give me a break."

Shelby was looking at Santana with a full on glare now. Instead of responding she turned sharply and walked away.

Santana knew she had crossed the line but all she could think about was Rachel's breakdown earlier in the day. As she looked at Shelby in the face, all she could see was Rachel showing up in the middle of the night, heartbroken and sleepless because of that woman. Santana saw her mother leave to go to the market and never return. She could relate to Rachel's pain because she had it herself. She was hurting as well even though she buried her pain deep down inside long ago. Shelby needed to stay away and she needed to protect Rachel's heart at all costs…no matter the consequences.

* * *

 _ **No excuses, I've just been enjoying my summer break. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions.**_


	12. Chapter 11

Santana normally spent lunch with Rachel but she knew today had to be different.

There was something in the air. The entire student body could feel it and while Santana would normally feed off of it like the rest of her peers, this time it only seemed to cause her anxiety. The electric synergy seemed to bounce off the walls as she passed by students that were talking loudly in excitement or speaking in hushed tones as they passed by her.

Brittany could only look at her with sad eyes, seeing as they still hadn't been speaking to one another that much. A soft 'hello' or tentative 'goodbye' were all they were capable of giving to each other right now and honestly Santana didn't want it any other way. She appreciated that the blonde forced her to come to terms with herself. Brittany forced her to stop lying to herself about what she felt for a certain small statured person but Santana was still angry over the way in which Brittany went about it and Santana figured she'd be angry for quite awhile.

Besides it was another blonde that had all of Santana's attention at the moment and she was having a difficult time finding her.

Santana turned the corner of a corridor before she was smacked in the head with the obvious place that Quinn would be hiding. Her white Nike sneakers squeaked loudly as she made an about face and headed towards the Cheerios locker room and headed outside. If you went left instead of right, you would end up going towards the bleachers instead of the field. Knowing this and knowing Quinn, Santana wasn't the least bit surprised when she saw the blonde sitting under the bleachers with slumped shoulders.

As she approached, Santana stilled her movements when she saw Quinn's drooping shoulders began to shake. She couldn't hear her crying per say but she did hear the small squeaks as Quinn gasped for air. Santana almost turned completely around to walk in the other direction, but Quinn's crying began to get slightly louder and the entire scene broke her heart as rain began to pour down suddenly out of nowhere.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Santana walked over quietly as she approached her upset friend. They were friends…frenemies really but it was clear Quinn was in need of a caring friend and not a bitch and Santana wasn't completely heartless. Well not any longer thanks to her vertically challenged best friend.

Taking another breath she sat down brushing her shoulder to Quinn's on purpose to let Quinn know of her presence. Quinn's body immediately froze and she stopped crying and making noises instantly. It was impressive really…to have control over your own body that way. Santana didn't say anything but could feel Quinn looking at her from her peripheral. If possible the rain began coming down harder and a small rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Please leave" Quinn requested with a shaky voice. If Santana hadn't been so close she wouldn't have heard it. She glanced over and bit her lip while shaking her head no in response.

"I just want to be alone" said Quinn as she allowed her shoulders to slump as another bout of thunder rolled in the distance.

"I know" says Santana crossing her legs at the ankle. She reached over tentatively with her hand and clasped Quinn's hands that were in her lap. The color difference between the two hands was striking and for some reason always fascinated Santana but she shook that off and gave Quinn a strong squeeze before retracting her own hand and putting it her own lap.

It seemed to be the cue for Quinn to continue her sob fest and Santana listened as Quinn's high pitched crying seemed to mingle with the sounds of the storm. At one point, Quinn was heaving so bad that Santana instinctively pulled at Quinn's shoulders and the blonde kinda collapsed onto Santana's body.

The day had been a smorgasbord of drama thanks to Quinn dumping Finn the night before. She was honest with him, stating that she was pregnant and the kid wasn't his and somehow Finn put two of his challenged brain neurons together and figured out who the actual father was without Quinn uttering a word or hint. Before first period, Finn had beat Puck to a pulp and was now on suspension for the second time that school year. Puck was sporting a pretty sick black eye and Quinn just ran away from it all, leaving the school with the buzz of drama that somehow involved someone from the Berry clan yet again.

Santana was just happy it didn't directly involve Rachel but she knew that Rachel would be impacted by it eventually. She couldn't worry about that now though, Quinn was still crying and her uniform was getting wet and it wasn't from the rain.

"Look Quinn, if push comes to shove, you can stay with me once your parentals find out" Santana said looking out at the drenched field, "but you need to apologize to Rachel for being a bitch."

"Puck tells me the same thing" Quinn replies shakily as she lifts her body off Santana's.

"Well maybe your stubborn ass needs to listen."

* * *

"So how did the husband take it?" asked Leroy as he sat across from Shelby inside the Tuscan's Café. It was a quaint place that Leroy loved a lot. He used to take Hiram here often but that has since chilled down because of everything that's happening.

" _Colin_ " replied Shelby smartly as she rolled her eyes, "is fine with everything. We've discussed this previously and we both feel like it's the right thing to do" she said as she poured some cream into her hot coffee that was just placed on the table by their waitress. She blew into her hands trying to generate heat because of the cold, wet rain outside and hoped the warm beverage would warm her body up.

"I didn't mean any harm" replied Leroy as he went about fixing his own coffee to his liking.

Shelby nodded before taking a sip as a pregnant pause passed between them.

"Do you need any help getting settled at the apartment?" he questioned after taking his own sip of coffee.

"No" she shook her head, "everything's pretty much done. The place was fully furnished; I only had to bring my clothing and Colin sent a lot of my things here that I needed."

Leroy nodded his head as he glanced at the menu. He could feel her eyes on him, assessing him. She'd done it for as long as they'd known one another and it still made him feel a little anxious. He looked up at her with a perked brow and Shelby chuckled slightly, "it's nothing" she replied softly.

Leroy knew that wasn't the truth but he was willing to let it slide for now.

They'd both talked previously for what seemed like hours and came up with a plan of sorts on how to move ahead with this new dynamic between them all.

He wasn't used to co-parenting, or consulting with anyone about his children but since he initiated this thing with Shelby, he wanted them to seem like a united front for Noah and Rachel…he had to concede that Shelby was right. They had to work on their relationship with one another if things were to move forward as painless as possible.

Shelby made the move to Lima and she's been keeping her distance from Rachel and Noah to an extent. They weren't going to force things, just let them happen naturally as Rachel made abundantly clear.

Everything started with them being best friends growing up, so Leroy and Shelby agreed to start there, hence the meal today.

"I really want this to work Leroy" said Shelby crossing her arms over her body and moving her hands up and down her arms nervously. Something she's done for years.

"I know…and it will" replied Leroy with a tight smile.

After meals were ordered, Shelby looked up with an impressive perk of her brow and cleared her throat, "so this girl that Rachel seems to spend most of her time with…who is she?"

Leroy looked perplexed for a second before answering, "Santana" he said unsurely.

"I guess…pretty girl, long dark hair, dark eyes, Latina, and an attitude from hell" said Shelby irritably.

Leroy sat back and nodded, "that's Santana…what she'd do now?" he asked knowingly. He listened with rapt attention as Shelby recounted her story from the other day after watching Rachel's audition.

* * *

Noah leaned his head gingerly into his locker. His face was throbbing and he was in the midst of another pity party. Even though his body was sore, nothing was comparing to the deep dark hole that he felt in the pit of his stomach.

The truth was out and he thought he would be relieved with that but it wasn't the case at all.

Finn beat his ass, Quinn ran off crying, and after the fight, Rachel just looked at him lying on the floor writhing in pain before turning around and swiftly walking away. The entire situation screamed after school special. It gutted him to watch his sister walk off like that but Noah figured he was only getting back what he dished out to her.

Sighing deeply he lifted his head and threw all his books in the locker knowing he wasn't going to get any school work done. He slammed the locker door shut, wincing in pain at the sound and how it made his almost swollen shut eye feel. He began walking back towards the office, waiting for his dad to pick him up after they contacted him about the fight.

Finn was the one who got suspended but Principal Greene made it clear that it would be good for Noah to go home as well.

Reaching the office, he quickly sat down in the uncomfortable seats as his mind began to race with all types of thoughts. The one that kept pressing to the forefront was how big of an idiot he was to try and be something he wasn't; to care about popularity more than anything else, more than his family.

He realized how stupid he was to even care about his reputation. Caring about that meaningless thing cost him his family, his home, and now one of his friends...his best friend. Noah promised himself right then and there that he would never make that mistake again. He wouldn't put popularity over the more important things in life. It was one of the reasons he and Quinn agreed to tell Finn the truth.

The problem was Quinn got to Finn before he did.

Now he was sporting a black and swollen shut eye, a scratched up face and a knot on his head, courtesy of Finn catching him by surprise. He didn't even fight back; he just tried his best to shield his face as Finn rain down punch after punch. It was what he deserved. What he'd earned. It was best to let Finn get it all out, even if it was on his face and body.

A loud gasp brought him out of his personal musings. Looking to the left his face scrunched up slightly and he was shocked to see his mother standing in the doorway of the office with a horrified expression on her face with his dad right behind her.

He watched as her horror went to concern as she rushed over towards him and lifted his chin up and began assessing the damage that was done to his face. Noah looked out his one good eye at Shelby's expression and witnessed a flurry of emotions in them.

"Mr. Berry, if you could come into my office please" Noah heard his principal, Mr. Greene say.

"Shelby, you wanna come with?" Leroy asked.

"No, I'll stay here" she responded not taking her eyes off her son.

Noah looked at his dad walk away and into the office with the principal and he felt his shoulders deflate. He knew he disappointed his dad once again.

This day couldn't get any worse but then Finn's mother came through the door, looking down at Noah with an unreadable expression and he finally let the tears fall.

* * *

Santana just wasn't feeling today at all. It was cold, gloomy, and wet and she hadn't seen enough of Rachel.

After Quinn's breakdown, Santana snatched her car keys away and drove them back to the Lopez residence. Careful to make sure they weren't seen by Quinn's stay at home mom. Her abuela had finally went back to her own home so she felt like she could breathe freely once again in her own home.

As soon as the door opened, Quinn ran to the bathroom and she could hear her blonde friend retching from there. Shuddering uncontrollably, she went up to her room and changed her clothes.

After finding something for Quinn to change into, she headed downstairs to see if they had something in the house that Quinn might be able to hold down. Some leftover enchiladas were in the fridge that her grandma made for her before leaving and she quickly scooped it out and began warming it up for her lunch.

Quinn came into the kitchen and Santana gave her a once over as she drummed her fingers on the counter waiting for her food to warm up. The blonde looked bad. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, her nose was beet red and her hair was strewn all over the place. She looked broken and it was the saddest thing Santana had seen in a long time.

Moving quickly, she reached for a glass and filled it with some water from the refrigerator before handing it to Quinn, "drink" she commanded. Leaving the kitchen, she went to the linen closet near the downstairs bathroom and grabbed an extra toothbrush, mouth wash and toothpaste. She hurried back to the kitchen and handed the items to Quinn who gave a soft 'thank you' in reply.

Santana noticed she didn't drink much of the water and waited until Quinn returned before asking if she was hungry.

"Not really, but I'd love some saltines if you have it and ginger ale" sighed Quinn.

Quinn's phone dinged as Santana retrieved the items for her.

"You should answer him. He's obviously worried" Santana says as she places the items in front of Quinn who sat down at the kitchen table.

"I know he is, I just need time to think right now" Quinn replied unsteadily.

Santana nodded, "do you mind if I go make a phone call?"

Quinn shook her head distractedly.

"Make yourself at home Q" Santana said as she moved out of the kitchen. She snatched up her purse quickly before heading to the den. She fished her phone out as she walked and quickly dialed a familiar number, instantly smiling when she heard a familiar 'hello'.

"Hey Rachel, how have you been today?"

"Okay" said Rachel. Santana could almost hear her shrugging through the phone, "I've been missing my best friend today and she's been notably absent."

It wasn't accusatory, just truth and Santana knew it. "Sh-she needed me…Q's in really bad shape right now" says Santana softly as she flops down on the big sofa in the room.

"I know, I saw my brothers beat up face this morning. I'm just saying that I missed you today is all" said Rachel into the phone.

Santana's heart rate picked up and her throat became dry. Coughing she replied with a sputtered, "I missed you today too." _'More than you'll know'_ thought Santana as she placed her hand on her belly to try and calm the flopping around of butterflies in there, "I'll try to see you sometime this evening if everything works out" she replied softly.

"No worries…today is the first day of glee practice, plus I have ballet practice afterwards, besides, I know that you're being an awesome friend and person…the person I always knew you to be deep down" replied Rachel.

Santana blushed deeply, "thanks Rach" she replied softly.

"You're welcome" she whispered back. "So I have to go but we'll definitely catch up later" says Rachel. Santana can hear her moving around in the background, "Okay sounds good, I promise I'll catch up with you before the days over" says Santana as she stands and stretches.

"Cool, talk to you later" Rachel said before hanging up.

"Later" whispered Santana to the dial tone.

She looked down at her phone again as it went to her home screen and fought off another blush. Hiding her feelings for Rachel was becoming increasingly difficult, especially now that she didn't have Brittany or bullying to be her cover. It was time she started to think about how to express her feelings to Rachel without it becoming weird, or her losing her best friend, and more importantly, not suffering from a broken heart. Another one to be exact.

"I just can't right now!" she heard yelled from the kitchen.

Sighing heavily Santana walked back to where Quinn was.

Fresh tears were flowing steadily from the blonde's eyes and Santana felt awful for her.

"Was that Puck?" she questioned.

Quinn bit her bottom lip and shook her head, "it was Finn, demanding I tell him why I betrayed him. I couldn't…I can't deal with him right now. He deserves an explanation but I don't think I can give him one right now."

"I get it" responded Santana as she sat across from Quinn, "what about Puck? Have you talked to him?"

"We've texted. His dad and mom picked him up from school" said Quinn totally despondent.

Santana's eyes widened in surprise about Shelby being at McKinley High School. She was hoping the women would heed her warning and get the hell out of town for the sake of Rachel and Puck but it seems she's just hanging around. Quinn's phoned dinged out loud and rapid succession causing both of them to stare a little at the phone before Quinn hesitantly picked up the phone and read the test messages. As the blonde read through them, tears that stopped previously were now falling effortlessly.

"The school called my mom and dad to let them know I wasn't there. My dad went to find out what was going on and Principal Greene told him everything" Quinn mumbled out as her voice crumbled in the end.

Santana breathed in deeply and sighed as she watched her friend lose it once again. This day was going down as her second worse one. Santana reached for Quinn's phone and flicked through the text messages. She couldn't believe what she was reading at that moment. Russell Fabray was calling Quinn every type of word in the English language that could describe a loose woman and he was sending it to his own daughter. Not only was she a fat slut, the milder words out of everything, she was a trader to their Christian values and conservative beliefs.

She slammed the phone back on the table when she read that Quinn was a negro lover…and that wasn't the word he used. Santana felt her nostrils flare open from anger and disgust and she quickly fired off a few text messages from her own phone. Standing quickly, she walked over to Quinn and grabbed her hands, "c'mon Q, you need to rest" said Santana. It was something when Quinn didn't even fight her as she pulled her out of the chair and escorted her upstairs to her bedroom. She made quick work of tucking her in her bed and sat there until she saw Quinn's breathing even out.

* * *

Leroy Berry was once again walking the halls of McKinley High School. This time it was simply to pick up his daughter after her ballet practice.

He'd dropped Noah and Shelby at his house and Shelby refused to leave Noah's side, so Leroy put his trust in the woman and left her with his son. It took a lot for him to do this but if he wanted his kids to try and accept Shelby then he would have to be the example.

Today was unnecessarily dramatic and would be another game changer for the Berry household. He once again had to figure out how to do the right thing for his family with the least possible damage. Walking around a corner he finally made it to the newly founded 'art wing' of the building. He could hear the classical music as he approached the door and as he walked in he saw his princess practicing her choreographed moves with a few students and the newly hired ballet teacher. His chest puffed out in pride as he watched Rachel give her all with high energy. It was the first time in a while that he'd seen her face look so joyous and peaceful. She was in her element and thriving. It was all he ever wanted…her happiness.

Eventually practice ended for them and he waved at Rachel as she finally noticed his presence. She returned his wave with a small one of her own and she went about gathering her belongings to leave.

"Hey you wanna shower here or at home?" he asked as she walked over after lifting her duffel bag on her shoulder.

"Home…I feel more comfortable there" she responded looking up at him with those wide eyes that he cherished. He grabbed her bag off her shoulder and placed it on his own and they made their way out of the door and into the hallway.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. He didn't know how to approach the touchy subject that they needed to talk about but Rachel surprised him by bringing it up first, "so how's Noah…I saw what happened to him earlier today" Rachel said bluntly.

"Well he sporting a well-deserved black eye and a few more bruises across his body. He's not suspended but I'm gonna keep him home for a little bit of time" replied Leroy as they walked out of the building and he reminded Rachel to zip up her heavy jacket.

"So, he's definitely back home?" questioned Rachel looking up at him.

"Yes" answered Leroy honestly, "I thought it's what you wanted."

Rachel looked away and down at her feet, "It is, I wanted us back together as a unit but I'm not sure I want what comes with him daddy" she said looking back up at him.

Leroy nodded and they began moving towards his truck, "I hear you Rachel but I think that may be unavoidable." He heard his daughter sigh in frustration as they got to the truck. Leroy unlocked the doors quickly and watched as Rachel scrambled in the front seat quickly with an angry expression.

He placed her duffle bag on the back seat and climbed into the driver's side seat. Looking over he saw Rachel chewing on her bottom lip with her hands tightly clasped together in her lap with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Rachel-" he started.

"Daddy, I know what's going on" she said cutting him off. "I know she's pregnant and honestly I could care less. I don't want her to move in with us. I don't. She made my life a living hell at this school for a long time and has never felt one ounce of remorse. She's never apologized. In fact the only thing she's done is look at me with disgust in the hall anytime we see one another. I'm sorry life is hard for her and him right now but they now get to see and feel what it was like to be me. They now get to see how hard it was for me and I still handled it with much grace and pose than either one of them have and ever will. I'm sorry but I just don't want her in my home. My home has been my sanctuary, my place of solace and peace and I don't want that disturbed daddy…I'm sorry I don't."

Leroy watched as a few tears fell from Rachel' eyes and her bottom lip trembled. He couldn't say anything that would make her feel better about any of this. She made her feelings known and he had no choice but to respect that. He turned around with a simple 'okay' in response and started the truck. Quickly he decided it would be take out for tonight so he stopped them at the Tai restaurant that Rachel liked a lot. After picking up the food they made their way back towards home.

"Rachel, Shelby is at the house with Noah" Leroy said deciding it was best to warn her.

"That's fine…as long as she keeps her distance from me it's fine" replied Rachel.

Leroy glanced over at his daughter and realized that he didn't really recognize who she now was. These past months had changed her and he couldn't figure out if it was for good or for bad.

He turned the corner and was driving past the Lopez's home glancing up quickly to see if there was any life. He saw a few lights but nothing much. He came up on towards the Fabray house and he felt his stomach drop. Getting closer he rolled Rachel's window down so he could see and hear better and once he was in the front of their place he saw his son standing on the Fabray porch while Quinn was screaming, crying, and banging on the closed front door of the Fabray home. Two paper bags with a few clothes were sitting on the porch and Shelby was standing next to a crying Santana.

* * *

Santana didn't know how they got here in the moment. She was watching as Quinn was screaming and banging on the door of what was once her home.

"Daddy! Daddy! Please don't do this!" screamed Quinn repeatedly.

Santana looked on in horror as her friend was having a complete breakdown while Puck was holding his girl tightly to his body.

* * *

After Quinn fell asleep, Santana went downstairs to reheat her now cold lunch. While eating, she called her papi and gave him the low down on what was happening. He listened intently and agreed that Quinn could stay at their house until further notice. They talked for a long time about how things would shift for them and her papi promised when he got home they would talk some more about logistical things for what Quinn would need when the inevitable would happen.

After hanging up, she went into the living room and fell out on the couch. She was exhausted and could feel it and as soon as her head hit the couch pillow she was asleep.

The cold air hitting her in the face is what jolted her out of her sleep. She sat up and looked around trying to gather her thoughts, when she saw that front door was left ajar. Shaking her head, she wiped at her eyes and that's when she heard the shouts that she knew belonged to her friend. She'd been with Quinn long enough in practice to know what she sounded like when her voice was raised…but this shouting sound unbalanced and desperate.

Santana quickly threw on a pair of shoes and ran out of her door, closing it behind her after making sure it was unlocked. She ran down her porch steps and towards the Fabray residence. Once there she saw Quinn in her frantic state.

"Mommy! Mama…I need you!" Quinn cried out desperately as Santana walked into the yard. Puck was right behind Quinn with his hands wrapped firmly around her waist, trying to coerce the blonde into leaving but Quinn was refusing to give up. The more her parents ignored the banging and yelling the louder Quinn got.

She noticed two paper grocery bags sitting next to the door and knew that it was official. Quinn Fabray was now homeless.

The street lights were coming on and Quinn was still insistent on talking to her parents. She hadn't given up banging and yelling and Santana knew that her friend was holding on to the slim hope that they would change their mind. But the reality was that Russell Fabray and his wife Judy were intolerant racists who were addicted to keeping up the 'proper' image. It was no way possible they would accept their daughter being a teen mom, pregnant by someone who was biracial. Especially when one of those races was black.

Santana knew Quinn's resistance was in vain but she knew Quinn would have to tire out before she would give up.

"Noah, honey just lift her up and bring her to the house" Santana heard someone say. She looked to her left and saw none other than Shelby, the woman she knew that Rachel wasn't too fond of at the moment and the woman she told to stay away, giving instructions to try and calm down the situation. She didn't even hear the woman come up on her. Before she could comprehend the situation, the front door opened that Quinn was banging on and Russell Fabray came out of the door with a shot gun.

Santana's breath literally stopped before she felt herself being yanked back forcibly.

"Get her in the truck Shelby, now!" she heard Leroy Berry shout. Santana then was being pulled quickly to the black truck that was double parked in the middle of the street. She was thrust into the backseat by Shelby who then ran around the side of the truck and jumped into the driver's seat.

"Are you okay?!" Rachel practically yelled at her from the front seat.

"I'm fine" Santana huffed out in shock looking at Rachel, "but Quinn."

"My daddy's going to get them. They'll be okay" said Rachel as she reached back and grabbed Santana's hand and looked at Santana with those eyes she loved so much. Rachel reached back even further and wiped at her cheeks. Santana didn't even realize she had been crying.

A bang caused everyone to jump in the car and all three women turned their heads to look out of the windows.

"Get off my property now!" Russell yelled as he cocked the shot gun once again. Santana saw the hatred that was in his eyes and how red his skin was and knew that the situation had gotten out of hand, "I've called the police! You're no longer welcomed here!"

"We're leaving right now" said Leroy as he held his hands up high in the air and made his way onto the porch. He yanked Puck back, who in turn brought Quinn with him. "We're leaving right now" Leroy said calmly again with his hands high in the air once again and shielding Puck and Quinn's body with his own.

"Daddy, please!" screamed out Quinn with her hand reaching back as Puck tightened his grip around her and began walking backwards swiftly towards the truck.

Santana hurried and slid over as Puck finally gave up and picked Quinn up and hurried towards the truck carrying Quinn as if he was carrying a toddler. She flung the door open and Puck quickly but carefully placed Quinn inside before sliding right next to her and slamming the door as Leroy continued to move slowly, watching Russell and the gun backing away, down the porch, through the yard and onto the street.

"Shelby, drive the truck home" Leroy commanded from the street.

Quickly Shelby turned the keys and the truck came to life. Zooming off, Rachel and Santana turned their heads to watch as Leroy quickly walked down the street behind the truck. Shelby parked the truck with one swift whip of the wheel that was truly impressive and demanded that everyone get out quickly and into the house. Santana's body was on autopilot because normally she wouldn't have listened to a word this woman had to say but she did as instructed and so did Rachel and Puck. By the time Puck had gotten Quinn out of the truck and had her cradled in his arms, Leroy had made it to them and they all walked into the house together.

Santana watched as Puck immediately went to the couch in the living room and cradled a still visibly upset Quinn close to his chest. She hadn't stopped crying and was just a hot mess. It was also the first time Santana had a proper look at Puck's face. He was supporting a completely swollen eye and scrape marks all on the side of his face but he was talking softly and lovingly to Quinn. It made her feel out of place because she'd never seen this side of the boy.

Santana hadn't noticed that Leroy had left the room but he came back in with a gun of his own that he cocked and a stone expression she'd never seen on the man before. Rachel was standing next to her and gasped out loud at the sight of the gun.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed worriedly as Ira and Katherine came into the living room inquiring about what was happening.

"Lee where did you get that?!" she heard Shelby question harshly.

"I need for everyone to be quiet and do as I say!" Leroy yelled effectively cutting everyone off. Even Quinn hushed her cries down to whimpers.

"Shelby, you're staying here tonight and it's not up for debate" he said cutting her off as she began to argue. He was taking charge and it was clear that he was the authority figure at this moment. "Mama and Daddy I just need y'all to stay here and look out for those two" he said nodding his head towards Quinn and Puck.

"And you two…upstairs in Rachel's room now" he commanded as he looked at the both of them sternly. Rachel quickly scrambled up the stairs and Santana was right behind her but not before seeing Leroy posted up by his window and looking out of it on guard.

Once upstairs, Santana just sat at the edge of Rachel's bed in shock. She couldn't believe all the things that she witnessed and it was very upsetting. She felt Rachel sit by her closely. So close that their shoulders were touching and it wasn't an inch of space between them. She felt Rachel's hand reach out and Santana instinctively clasped it.

"I didn't want her here" Rachel said softly, "a part of me still doesn't want her here but after that…after what just happened, who am I to deny another person the opportunity to feel safe and have shelter. I wouldn't be any better than Quinn if I treat her the way she treated me in her time of need. I'm conflicted" Rachel sighed as she laid her head on Santana's shoulder.

Santana looked over and down at Rachel. She respected the small girl for her honesty and her only response was a squeeze of the hand and a soft, short peck on the top of her head.

* * *

Leroy stood on guard looking out his window. A couple of cop cars came around the corner and stopped in front of the Fabray household. He watched as Russell was instructed to lower his weapon and he felt his nostrils flare and his jaw clinch.

That man shot a round into the air and his babies were in the vicinity. If he didn't care about what happened to his kids he would've taken Russell down that instant because he was a decent shot. But reason was rubbing his back in the form of his mother and he knew the cops would be at his door eventually.

He moved from in front of his door and turned around to look at the scene in his living room. Shelby was sitting next to Noah who still had Quinn clutched to his chest. His sons hand was over Quinn's stomach and Leroy's stomach bottomed out. How could he forget his own grandchild was there when that man shot off his gun?

"Damn it!" he yelled out in frustration.

"Lee, you need to calm down and put that gun away" Shelby said to him from her spot on the couch.

Leroy looked down at his hand and noticed he had grasped the gun harder and his trigger family was pushing slightly. He took a few deep breathes before walking back to his hiding space for his gun in the dining room.

"Thank you" he heard his ex-wife and mother say simultaneously when he finally returned.

"Noah" he called out. He watched his son lift his head and his heart broke. Not only had his son's eye swollen more but the other one was bloodshot red and filled with tears, "Dr. Lopez will be here eventually but for now I want you to take Quinn up to your room and get settled okay. When the doctor gets here I'll make sure he checks on Quinn and the baby."

Noah nodded and effortlessly lifted Quinn up and took her upstairs. He watched and listened until he heard his son's bedroom door close behind him before releasing a string of curse words out of his mouth. Once he was done he looked over and locked eyes with Shelby.

"I'm here in whatever way you need me" she responded earnestly.

"So are we son" said his father.

"Good" Leroy said as he began rubbing at his chin. He needed to shave badly. "I'm gonna need a lot from all of you and I'm sorry I'm putting all of this on you but I do need help."

"It's not a problem Leroy" said his mother to him.

He nodded, "Shelby I need you and mama to purchase clothing for Quinn tomorrow and start scouting for baby stuff. And dad I need you to help me with some plans for around here, we need to make the house more secure and I have a feeling I may need more house" he said just as there was a loud knock at his door.

"Who is it?" Leroy asked firmly.

"The police."

* * *

 ** _So an update...finally! I want to apologize first. I stopped updating and writing because I had received a few bad reviews for this story and it had me questioning whether or not the story was good and if I was a decent writer. I'm being honest, it bothered me for a really, really long time. So much so, that I was hell bent on quitting. But I realized that quitting isn't an option and more importantly it's not fair to the people that liked or loved this story. You all deserved a conclusion. So here I am again. I hope you like this chapter and I will work on finishing what I had planned. Once again I'm sorry. Please leave a thought or two._**


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